Liturgical Singing 16 Part 2 KOINONIKON: THE HYMNOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF HOLY COMMUNION
NOTES FROM THE CHOIR LOFT Liturgical Singing 16 Part 2 KOINONIKON: THE HYMNOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF HOLY COMMUNION By Gerasimos Koutsouras This manner of chanting the koinonikon is indicative of the shortcomings of soloist chanting as it exists in the Church today. Some of the characteristics of this monodic style of chanting are […]
Liturgical Singing 15 Part 1 KOINONIKON: THE HYMNOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF HOLY COMMUNION
Liturgical Singing 15 Part 1 KOINONIKON: THE HYMNOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF HOLY COMMUNION By Gerasimos Koutsouras The sacrament of Holy Communion is the most significant rite in Christian worship. It is therefore important that the hymnology and music with which the rite is couched and decorated, appropriately demonstrates the honor and value that Orthodox Christians would […]
Liturgical Singing 14 Part 2
NOTES FROM THE CHOIR LOFT Liturgical Singing 14 Part 2 ENGLISH TEXT AND BYZANTINE CHANT: SOME PROBLEMS AND ISSUES By Nancy Takis What many, if not most, Greek Orthodox parishes in the U.S. have is, at best, a modified Byzantine chant, and this is not likely to give way to either a reactionary […]
Liturgical Singing 14 Part 1
NOTES FROM THE CHOIR LOFT Liturgical Singing 14 Part 1 ENGLISH TEXT AND BYZANTINE CHANT: SOME PROBLEMS AND ISSUES By Nancy Takis It may come as a surprise to some that after centuries of liturgical use in the Orthodox Church, there is today some controversy among chanters regarding what exactly is Byzantine chant. […]
Greek Christmas Eve Tradition of Singing Carols (Kalanda)
Greek Christmas Eve Tradition of Singing Carols (Kalanda) Like many parts of the world, there is a tradition in Greece of going door to door to sing Christmas carols. However, unlike in other parts of the world, this is primarily done in Greece by children, who are often invited into people’s homes for a […]
Liturgical Singing 11 WORDS AND MUSIC IN ORTHODOX LITURGICAL WORSHIP AN HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION
Liturgical Singing 11 WORDS AND MUSIC IN ORTHODOX LITURGICAL WORSHIP AN HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION by David Drillock Earthly worship is an imitation of heavenly praise. The earthly church at prayer unites the faithful with the prayer of the angelic praise. This thought is not simply a Byzantine theoretical supposition combined with platonic imagery, but […]
Hymns of the Church 4: The Cherubic Hymn* Part 2
Hymns of the Church 4: The Cherubic Hymn* Part 2 We are now approaching the presentation of the Precious Gifts in the Great Entrance. Christ comes with these Holy Gifts during the Great entrance to offer us His sacrifice for the salvation of the world. Here is an incredible story about Euthymios the Great that […]
Hymns of the Church 3: The Cherubic Hymn* Part 1
Hymns of the Church 3: The Cherubic Hymn* Part 1 We are now beginning The Liturgy of the Faithful, the third and last part of the Divine Liturgy, which commences with the “Great Entrance” while the Choir chants the “Cherubic Hymn.” This final part of the Liturgy begins with the priest chanting: “Grant, that being ever protected by […]
Liturgical Singing 10: Choir and Congregation Part 3
Liturgical Singing 10: Choir and Congregation Part 3 Choir and Congregation: Liturgical Components and Discrepancies as They Relate to the Restoration of Congregational Singing in Orthodox Christian Worship by Mark Bailey With the exception of the “Alleluia,” the examples so far cited share the quality of liturgical interaction between celebrants and assembly. The congregation either […]
Liturgical Singing 9: Choir and Congregation Part 2
Liturgical Singing 9: Choir and Congregation Part 2 Choir and Congregation: Liturgical Components and Discrepancies As They Relate to the Restoration of Congregational Singing in Orthodox Christian Worship by Mark Bailey A functional distinction between choir and congregation allows this analysis to consider liturgical format and texts directly, and then to outline the […]