Music for the soul - The Male Choir of St Petersburg.Russian Orthodox tradition holds that God should only be worshipped with the purity of the male voice.
Be that as it may, a trip to the St Petersburg Shostakovich Philharmonic Hall next Wednesday will at least convince you that the male voice is an extremely powerful and spiritual instrument.
On that enchanted eve, one of the city's rare treasures -- the Male Choir of St Petersburg -- will perform songs from their repertoire of religious and classical songs.
The 25 vocalists that make up the masculine ensemble must be heard to be believed. The range and clarity of their singing often moves their audience to tears with its brutally naked spirituality and beatific harmonies.
Conductor Vadim Afanasiyev said his involvement with the choir is the culmination of a life devoted to music.
"My other work has been satisfying, even inspiring, but to work with the male voice is life itself," he said.
Afanasiyev has held many prestigious posts in the world of St Petersburg, Soviet and Russian classical music and he currently works as chief conductor and artistic director for the city's State Concert Orchestra.
The choir has been in existence for almost three years. During that time it has performed several times in St Petersburg, as well as touring abroad.
Its 12 tenors, five baritones and four basses weave their magic on top of the fundamental and granite-like force of the four basso profundos that anchor the choir.
When the basso profundos sing, it is as though the rocks themselves have cracked open to give voice to the earth's potent laments and vitality.
A performance from the male choir is full of soaring upswings of temperament and stunning confrontations with the rock of ages. The Russian church may say what it will, but I was left feeling drained by a more ancient, pagan spirituality than the Christian one.
The choir is acknowledged as the best of its type in Russia today. Unfortunately, this is partly due to the fact that it is just about the only one of its type in Russia today.
This is despite the fact that male choirs were the first singing collectives in Russia. For many centuries such ensembles were extremely popular -- and not just in church.
Witness to this are the multitude of songs either written specifically for male voice or readily adaptable for such a choir. Many of Russia's finest composers, including Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Chesnokov and Arkhangelsky, are featured in the choir's songbook.
But pride of place in the repertoire is reserved for Russian Orthodox liturgical hymns, created as the centerpiece of church services.
The choir released a compact disc of liturgical hymns last year, which has songs by Tchaikovsky, Arkhangelsky and others. But the highlight of the disc is Chesnokov's "Funeral Service for Male Choir," one of the most powerful vocal pieces ever composed.
Conductor Afanasiyev has said that nothing on earth compares to the male voice in its naked glory.
"This love affair of mine with the male voice is the passionate center of my existence," he said.