AKATHIST
by The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Artefact Ensemble, NOVUS NY
2025 GRAMMY® Nominee
Best Choral Performance
The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Artefact Ensemble, NOVUS NY
ABOUT
LISTEN
Benedict Sheehan’s sublime new oratorio, Akathist, was recorded in fall of 2023 at New York’s historic Trinity Church with The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Artefact Ensemble, NOVUS NY. The groundbreaking work weaves together medieval chant, Anglo-American hymns, gospel, and jazz – offering a unique perspective on sacred music and a radically constructive response to injustice and evil. Akathist asks us to meet the world’s brokenness with gratitude and healing, and thereby to transform ourselves.
MUSICIANS
Elaine Kelly, conductor
Melissa Attebury, Stephen Sands, Benedict Sheehan, chorus masters
Benedict Sheehan, Composer
Two-time GRAMMY® nominee and American Prize–winner Benedict Sheehan has been called “a choral conductor and composer to watch in the 21st century” (ConcertoNet) and “a remarkable musician and composer” (Choral Journal). He is artistic director and founder of Artefact Ensemble and the GRAMMY®-nominated Saint Tikhon Choir, and Artist in Residence at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery.
His works have been described as “brilliant” (Choir & Organ), “otherworldly” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), “evocative” (Gramophone), “extraordinary” (Limelight), and “simply beyond praise for excellence” (Fanfare). His music is published by Oxford University Press and others and has been performed by many of the world’s leading vocal ensembles, including Skylark, Conspirare, the Houston Chamber Choir, the Kansas City Chorale, the BBC Singers, and many others.
In some of his recent works, Sheehan has delved into issues of current sociopolitical significance. Among these are his 2022 setting of the African American manifesto Credo by W. E. B. DuBois for Conspirare and his recently completed Ukrainian War Requiem, written for Axios Men’s Ensemble and Pro Coro Canada in honor of those slain in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sheehan is also a person who stutters. In recent years he has become a passionate advocate for people in the arts with disabilities and speech differences, and his projects and ensembles have become known within the choral community as welcoming, inclusive, and life-affirming spaces for musicians and audiences alike. He lives and works in Pennsylvania with his wife and longtime musical collaborator, Talia Sheehan, and together they have seven daughters ranging in age from 7 to 23.
RECENT PRESS
