"The style is quite remarkable... Valentina Kopylova has blended traditions from an almost lost past with effective training of singers covering a wide range of ages and of musical frequencies from the lowest bass to the most nimble soprano" (Stephen Daw, "Birmingham Post") "I have never before heard such fine singing." (Marcus Davey, the Director of Norfolk and Norwich Festival, England)
The "ROSSICA" Choir was formed in 1976 under the name of "Ancient Russian Music Ensemble". During the first two years of its activity (1976-1978) the choir had the stuff of only 8-12 singers and worked in partnership with Leningrad State TV Channel, what resulted in a series of short films named "Musical Novellas": Musical life in the XVIII c. St.Petersburg; Heinrig Schutz; Claudio Monteverdi; The waltzes of love (J. Brams); Serenades (Schubert, Glinka, Dargomyzski, Borodin); Bela Bartok). Since then the films have been kept in the archives of City's State TV Channel.
In 1980 the group was renamed "Rossica" (in Latin it means 'all about Russia') and restructured: since then its stuff includes 20-24 singers. In addition it has subdivisions that reflect those ancient singing forms which "Rossica" tries to revive. First of them is a male group of predominantly low voices (bases and deep bases accompanied by light tenor-voices singing an octave higher). This choir structure was characteristic of medieval singing tradition ('znamenny' and 'demestvenny' polyphony). Another main choir-form employed by "Rossica" - Russian Church choir of the age of the so called 'Russian Baroque'. It is a group of 20-24 solo-singers; each of them performs his part in 8-12-16- and 24-voice choir-scores. This choral structure was modeled on European baroque string and wind orchestra. But since instrumental music was prohibited in Orthodox liturgical practice, Russian composers of that time were bound to give orchestral characteristics to voiceparts; hence choral music of this style is remarkable for its technical complexity. So that special features ot baroque singing in the XVII c. Russia has predetermined both number (under 24 voices) and quality of "Rossica"'s stuff.
The "Rossica" Choir enjoys steady success at best concert halls and cathedrals of Russia: St.-Petersburg Philharmonic Hall, Rachmaninov Hall of Moscow Conservatoire, The Pillar Hall of the Palace of Unions (Moscow), St.Sofia Cathedral in Kiev, St.Sofia, St.George and other churches and Cathedrals of Novgorod.