7 February 1995
The Choir Directors
The Parish Choirs of the
Holy Diocese of Denver
Beloved in the Lord,
Having made pastoral visits to thirty-two of our forty-five parishes of the Diocese these past two years, I have had the rich experience of the participation of the choirs in our beautiful and moving worship services. I am very pleased with the avid interest of the members of our choirs in their parishes.
However, I have noticed a number of realities which do not contribute to the proper functioning of some of the choirs. One of these has to with choir rehearsals. It seems that some choirs do not conduct rehearsals because, the rationale goes, the members of the choirs have been singing for many years and know the music well. Therefore rehearsals are not necessary. Such a statement or attitude gives two strong messages to the people of the parish:
1. We do not want new choir members, and
2. There is no other music that one can learn for the Divine Liturgy.
The first reason tends to destroy the incentive of new members and younger people from joining the choir.
The other reveals the total ignorance of those who do not know that the music of the Church since the ninth century has been prepared in eight different musical modes. There are, for example, eight different doxologies just as there are eight different resurrection hymns for Sundays, not including the Paschal Apolitikion.
Today in the United States there are many hymnals which contain in European notation different doxologies either in the major diatonic scale or the minor chromatic scale. In short, choirs can become rejuvenated by learning new music. They may even impress the congregation with their musical development.
Another observation which I wish to convey to the choirs is the fact that a number of choirs, especially during the longer communion lines we are witnessing, do not restrict themselves to the Communion Hymn of that particular Sunday. I have heard chants from the Vesper services or from the Katavasias of the Orthros; I have even heard hymns from the season of Great Lent.
The Church in her wisdom has specific hymns for specific occasions. Just as we do not sing funeral hymns at weddings, we should not sing the Communion Hymn "Soma Christou" ("Body of Christ"), for example, except between Pascha and the Ascension of our Lord.
I ask all choir directors to refrain from taking license and to restrict the hymns they use to the ones of the season only, especially at the time of Holy Communion.
Since here in America we do have the privilege of having organs, there is nothing wrong in having the organist play the Communion Hymn softly and is different renditions. Contrary to the thinking of some we can also have moments of silence during the services.
The moment of one receiving Holy Communion is considered very sacred; and it is not necessary for musical contributions to compete with that holy moment.
Another observation has to do with the choir chanting only one "Kyrie Eleison" at the end of the Divine Liturgy just before the Prayer of the Amvon: "Lord, You Who bless those who bless you ..." This is the place when the choir should sing "Kyrie Eleison" three times and conclude with "Thespota ayie evlogison" ("Holy master, bless"). It seems that because of an error in newer choir hymnals that this is sung later on, just before the Apolysis (Dismissal). At the Apolysis, when the priest says "Tou Kyriou theithomen" (Let us pray to the Lord"), only one "Kyrie eleison" should be sung. In other words what is now done just before the Prayer of the Amvon should be reversed with what is done just before the Apolysis. If this is not clear enough, please refer to the older hymnals by Kefalas, Vrionides, and Sakellarides, or even the Divine Liturgy and Holy Week books by Father Papadeas.
Finally, I would like to see an excellent participation of the choirs of this Diocese at the forthcoming Choir Federation Conference, which will be held on the weekend of Pentecost in Dallas, Texas. This will be an excellent opportunity for you to worship in one of the most beautiful Orthodox Churches in America, the Church of the Holy Trinity. It will also be the feastday of the parish, and you will enjoy the wonderful hospitality of Father Nicholas Katinas and his congregation. You will additionally realize the richness of our musical tradition by hearing other composers and the singing of their music at the Choir Conference.
I hope to greet all of you in Dallas on Pentecost weekend.
With Paternal Blessings,
+ Bishop Isaiah of Denver