On Saturday, Alexandrov Russian Army Song and Dance Ensemble performed Ave Maria at the site of the former New York World Trade Center destroyed by terrorists on September 11, 2001.
"Upon arrival to the United States, we considered it our duty to lay flowers at the site of September 11 tragedy, which shook all decent people in the world, and sing a musical hymn in memory of all innocent victims of the terrorist act," head of the Ensemble Colonel Leonid Maleyev told RIA Novosti correspondent. "Ave Maria is a musical prayer for the souls of the living and the dead, and their Savior."
Alexandrov Russian Army Song and Dance Ensemble arrived in New York to participate in events dedicated to the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the VE-Day. The first day started with a live broadcast of its performance during the CBS Sunday Morning Show. The Russian military chorus attracted a big crowd on the Fifth Avenue in front of the famous Plaza Hotel. It performed the famed Katyusha and Kalinka songs.
On Sunday, the ensemble performs in Washington in front of the Capitol.
"We will perform a special hour-and-a half program dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Great Victory. It includes solo and chorus performances, and dances," Colonel Malev said. "The performance will start with the national anthems of Russia and the United States, followed by such famous wartime songs as The Holy War, Nightingales, Smuglyanka, and Victory Day. The program also includes popular American pieces God Bless America and Glory, Glory, Alleluia, and a choreography performance The Meeting on Elba.
The information support for the Alexandrov Russian Army Song and Dance Ensemble US tour is provided by RIA Novosti.
The ensemble, created in 1928 on Marshal Kliment Voroshilov's initiative, has been named after its first director, composer Alexander Alexandrov, the author of the music for the Russian National Anthem.
The Ensemble, which has become a symbol of the Soviet, and later Russian Army, toured more than 70 countries.
Its repertoire includes not only famous wartime hits Katyusha and Smuglyanka, but also remakes of hits performed by John Lennon, Frank Sinatra and other music stars.
The Washington performance on the eve of the Great Victory celebrations will become the second given by the ensemble in the Untied States this spring. In March, the group performed in one of the major music halls in the US.
