"In Russia, despite the westward vision of Tsar Peter the Great by 1700 the repertory of the St Petersburg Imperial Chapel Choir was still dominated by a style heavily dependent upon homophony. Stronger Western influences would be felt when central European musicians flocked to take up opportunities in Russia during the first decades of the eighteenth century. A courtly preference for Italian music grew, reaching a high point during the reign of Catherine the Great (1762-96), influencing two centuries of ethereal and spine-tingling Orthodox choral works." "Harmonia Sacra were formed by Peter Leech in 2009 specifically for the performance of late-Renaissance and early-Baroque music, and received critical acclaim at their inaugural 2009 Advent Reflections concert as a fine body of singers (Bristol Evening Post). They have gone from strength to strength, delighting audiences with fresh and uplifting performances. An international award-winning conductor, Peter has directed a wide variety of professional and amateur European and Australian ensembles with consistent critical acclaim. A specialist in music of the late enaissance and early Baroque periods, his many interests include seventeenth-century English court music, Russian Orthodox choral music and Iberian polyphony from 1500-1700. He is also a composer and passionately committed to contemporary music."