News
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His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel visited Holy Trinity Church in Toronto.
19 April 2017
Toronto Palm Sunday 2017
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News from the Liturgical Music Commission (LMC) of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia: Report on the 25th Anniversary Russian Orthodox Church Musicians’ Conference (for North America), October 5-9, 2016, Montreal, Canada; and announcement of upcoming events in 2017
19 April 2017
The 25th Anniversary Russian Orthodox Church Musicians’ Conference of church choir directors, singers and readers – attended by over 70 people – took place in the seat of the Canadian Diocese, Montreal, with great results and success. The conference was organized by the Liturgical Music Commission (LMC) of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia together with the organizing committee of the St. Nicholas Cathedral. The central theme was: The Music of Today’s Russian Orthodox Church: Perspectives in Creative Artistry and Technique.
The intensive workshops, rehearsals, and lectures took place at the excellent Marriott Courtyard Airport Hotel. The conference opened with The Prayer Service Before Beginning Any Good Work, served by the ruling diocesan bishop, Archbishop Gabriel. In his brief remarks, Vladyka referred to the importance of this work and called upon all to focus and draw as much information and experience as possible from the sessions. After Vladyka’s remarks, the head of the LMC, Protopriest Andre Papkov, thanked our beloved Vladyka for his support and officially opened the 25th Anniversary Church Musicians’ Conference.
The conference program was very full; one need only review the titles of the presentations and lectures to be convinced of the seriousness of the studies:
1) Mother Juliania, (Choir Director of the festal choir of the St. Elizabeth Convent, Minsk, Belarus) – The Art of Harmonizing Liturgical Chant.
2) Michael Woinowsky-Krieger (Choir director at St. Nicholas Cathedral, Montreal) – The Technical and Spiritual in our Church Singing: What’s the Connection?
3) Dr. Peter Jermihov (Choir Director the St. Romanos Society, Chicago) – Conducting Technique: With Presence of Mind and a Burning Heart.
4) Dr. Nicholas Schidlovsky (member of the LMC, Lecturer at Princeton University) – Envisioning ‘the Ideal’ in Our Church Singing: History, Theory and Liturgical Composition.
5) Dr. Peter Jermihov – How the Conductor Prepares.
6) Dr. Kurt Sander (member of the LMC, Professor at Northern Kentucky University School of the Arts) – The Asceticism of Creativity: Some thoughts on the Process of Creating Sacred Music.
A special invitee to the conference was the world famous choir director and composer Mother Juliania (in the world, Irina Denisova) from the St. Elizabeth Convent in Minsk (Belarus), who impressed all participants with her knowledge, directing technique, and a burning love of our common pursuit. Thank you, Matushka!
Special mention must be given to the two-part seminar led with great success by Peter Jermihov, a well-known North American conductor and a zealous participant in these conferences. Three students worked individually with Maestro Jermihov in perfecting their conducting technique and prepared selected pieces to be sung during the solemn divine services. While observing the work of these students during rehearsals, Peter Nikolaevich conducted talks with everyone about the importance of a spiritual approach and inner contemplation during services and even rehearsals. It should be said that the success of this seminar was tremendous. Thank you, Peter Nikolaevich!
Meals were taken three times a day in the hotel, giving an opportunity for participants to get to know each other better. In the evenings they relaxed, swam in the hotel pool, and socialized. Thanks be to God, the number of participants from the younger generation is growing with each conference. There was also in attendance a contingent of young people who had completed the Summer School of Liturgical Music, held under the auspices of the LMC and Holy Trinity Seminary.
The Commission’s members are: Chair, Protopriest Andre Papkov, Protodeacon Serge Arlievsky, Sergei Chidlovsky, Peter Fekula, Vladimir Krassovsky, Kurt Sander, Nicholas Schidlovsky and George Skok,
On Friday evening, while the participants had a free evening for rest or sightseeing, the Commission held a lengthy meeting where a full agenda of items was discussed.
On Saturday evening everyone set out for St. Nicholas Cathedral. It is a large church with very good acoustics. A 70-voice choir sang the All-Night Vigil. For parts of the service the choir divided into two and sang antiphonally. Archbishop Gabriel presided at all the services along with Protopriests George Lagodich (who had taken upon himself the lion’s share of conference organization) Michael Metny, Fr. Andre Papkov, along with the deacons Vadim Gan, Vassily Milonov and Boris Sidorenko.
After the Vigil, through the efforts of the sisterhood, a bountiful dinner was served in the church hall.
On Sunday morning the solemn Greeting and Vesting of the Archbishop took place. In addition to the clergy named earlier, His Grace Archbishop Irénée, (Orthodox Church in America) concelebrated. The Divine Liturgy was served prayerfully with a good number of worshippers in attendance. The wonderful results of the work during the conference were in evidence. The Liturgy concluded with a resounding Many Years and words of gratitude from Archbishop Gabriel.
After the service, and the unforgettable memories it brought, was the closing banquet, during which the Commission thanked the local organizing committee and presented them with modest gifts.
It remains only to thank the Commission and the organizers of this wonderful conference, and wish them all God’s help and strength of spirit in future endeavours and labours in the field of church music.See a video of the conference here.
Video: Michael KriegerA participant of the Conference
In 2017 the Liturgical Music Commission is organizing two events:
– The Summer school of Liturgical Music July 9-22, 2017, at Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY http://sslm.hts.edu
– And, God willing, we will all meet again at the 26th Annual Russian Orthodox Church Musicians’ Conference, hosted by the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral in Los Angeles, California, October 5-8, 2017, with the sessions taking place at the Four Points Sheraton Los Angeles, Westside. The theme of the Conference is “Prayerful Sound in the Orthodox Church: Vocal Artistry of the Deacon, Reader and Singer at Divine Services.” Watch for the official announcement and registration information.
The Liturgical Music Commission
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Paschal Epistle of His Eminence Gabriel, Archbishop of Montreal & Canada. 2017
14 April 2017
Paschal Epistle
To the clergy and the entire God-preserved flock of the Canadian DioceseBeloved brothers and sisters,
Christ is Risen!With heartfelt joy I greet all of you with the bright feast of feasts – the Resurrection of Christ.
St. John Chrysostom, in his homily which is read at the end of Paschal matins, says: “Enjoy ye all the feast of faith… let no one bewail his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed. Let no one weep for his iniquities, for pardon has shown forth from the grave.”
These wonderful words are said in God’s churches on the day of Christ’s resurrection, because, as Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky), the abbot of the Russian Church Outside of Russia, said, “On this day God is with us and we are with God, not like condemned slaves, but like Christ’s brothers.”
This union with the risen Christ is the fountainhead of Paschal joy, which is given to each of us when the Church celebrates victory over death, “for the Savior’s death has set us free” (St. John Chrysostom). This joy and grace come down to us on the night of Pascha and stay with us throughout the forty day celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection. All are called to the feast of the unconquerable triumph: “You sober and you heedless, honor the day. Rejoice today, both you who have fasted and you who have disregarded the fast” (St. John Chrysostom).
Let us not forget, beloved brothers and sisters, that this joy and grace are a foretaste of the eternal blessedness that awaits us in the Heavenly Kingdom. Metropolitan Anthony said, “If only we thought more on the inevitability of our own death and resurrection, how quickly would our remaining anger melt away. Paschal joy is a foretaste of eternal heavenly joy and he who loses the first is prone to losing the second.”
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Russian tragedy of 1917. The main reason for this tragedy is the yearning of deceived people for earthly instead of heavenly gifts. As a consequences
people received neither earthly nor heavenly good things. We hope that in these days the Russian people will come to comprehend the tragedies of the past and that the new generation will be raised in the spirit of faith and piety of our ancestors, so that our homeland returns to the God-ordained order of the past, which protected Orthodoxy Russia for many centuries.
“Pascha! Let us embrace one another. Let us say: Brethren, even to them that hate us, let us forgive all things on the Resurrection! O Pascha, Ransom from sorrow!”
Truly He is Risen!
Gabriel Archbishop of Montreal and Canada
Pascha, 2017 -
Annunciation of the Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary
5 April 2017
Sorry, this entry is only available in Русский.
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Reminder of Archibishop Gabriel regarding special collection to the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem.
4 April 2017
Reminder
To all the rectors of the parishes of the Canadian Diocese
As the great holiday of Palm Sunday (the Entrance of the Lord into Jerusalem) approaches, all the parishes of the Canadian Diocese are reminded of the annual plate collection to be taken to benefit the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. This collection should be made both during the Vigil (March 26/April 8) and the Divine Liturgy (March 27/April 9), to be preceded by a few words on the asceticism of the members of our Mission under very difficult circumstances, as they preserve and protect the holy sites and relics, welcoming multitudes of pilgrims and representing our Church in the Holy Land.Collections should be forwarded to our diocesan treasury (Diocesan Treasury, 99 Stonehurst Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4R6) with the designation: “For the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission”.
Gabriel, Archbishop of Montreal & Canada
