Doukhobor Music

Acapella singing has been a mainstay of the Doukhobor culture for generations and is uniquely complex in that it unaccompanied by written arrangements, musical instruments, or an on-stage choral director. The most striking characteristic of Doukhobor singing is its high degree of harmonic sophistication which exists purely within oral tradition rather than musically trained performers.

Doukhobor melodies express various feelings - at times joyful, and at times mournful. The mournful melodies come from the fact that Doukhobors, in their past history, have gone through great suffering for their Christian based beliefs. The entire history of the Doukhobors, both joy and suffering, is recorded within their hymns and songs, and their beliefs are expressed through their psalms.

Although not an exhaustive collection, the following selections come from a variety of Doukhobor albums, cassettes, and CDs recorded over the 20th century. Additional information about Doukhobor Music can be found on our resource directory page.