St. Romanos the Melodist

Saint  Romanos the Melodist, A Syrian Poet
Michael G. Farrow, Ph.D.
Vice Chairman, Dept. Sacred Music 

“The hymnologists of the Orthodox Church are Christians of virtue and great faith, having been endowed with musical talent as well as the power of religious inspiration. Their creations have enriched our worship services and have helped turn our souls towards God. Perhaps the greatest of all hymnologists is St. Romanos the Melodist. Many other hymnologists have written ecclesiastical hymns, but none of them inspired the Christians as much as St. Romanos.” This statement, issued by the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians concisely states the reverence, appreciation and feeling all Orthodox Christians have for St. Romanos.

Romanos’ Background 

Romanos a Syrian Christian, born in Edessa (Homs), Syria, lived in the beginning of the 6th century. Relying on scanty information about Romanos’ life, and based on the fact that his work contains a large segment of Semitic expressions, the fact that he never attacks Jews, and on a later anonymous kontakion stating that as “God’s Orator” he is “from the race of Hebrews”, it is generally thought by most scholars that he was a convert from Judaism. However, other scholars (R.J. Schork, 1995) believe that this may not be true. Schork states that his Semitic expressions are similar to those prevalent in the Syriac Christianity of that period, his anti-Jewish polemic such as “lawless one” in his hymns of passion week may be due to prejudice or the exaggerated zeal of a recent convert, and the fact that the “Hebrew” reference in the later kontakion merely refers to the fact that he was non-Greek or a Syrian. Topping states that although a late tradition makes him a Jew and a convert, it is more likely that he belonged to a Christian family of Semitic origin.

Romanos was ordained a deacon and served in the Church of the Resurrection in Berytus (Beirut). Most sources agree that he went to Constantinople during the reign of the Emperor Anastasius I (491-518).

Church Legend 

Church legend has it that during this time, Romanos’ voice was quite harsh and rasping and he was also tone deaf. It is said that the congregation cringed at hearing his voice. It was in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in the Blachernae quarter of Constantinople, that he received the gift of sacred poetry. After a religious retreat there, in his sleep on Christmas eve, he saw a vision of the Most Holy Theotokos who told him not to despair. Blessing him with her right hand, she held forth a scroll with her left hand, saying, “Take the scroll and eat it”. The saint, in his dream, opened his mouth and swallowed the parchment. It was Christmas Day, and immediately he awakened and marveled and glorified God. According to an account by Poulos, the service commenced as usual and when it came time for the voice of Romanos to be heard, the participants braced themselves for the accustomed cacophony that would ensue. Then, mounting the pulpit in the church, Romanos began the strains of his kontakion: Today the Virgin gives birth to the one who is above all living things.  But when the tone rolled across the church like the sound of a heavenly angel, the stunned listeners stood transfixed. When he had finished, the confused priest signaled him to continue and once again the resonant voice reverberated in the house of God. Then it dawned on one and all that a miracle had occurred. He was now hailed as the “Melodist”.

Hymn Writing 

His talent was great. Unlike others, he wrote his hymns in simple language and produced a pleasant meter in the verse by the way he accented words. Most scholars agree that he wrote in the colloquial idiom (common language) of his time. The hymns he composed appealed to the hearts of the people, and are still sung today. Romanos has been called "Sweet Singer" (Glykophonos), "Melodist" (Melodos), and "Righteous Chanter" (Psaltis Dhikeosinis). There is no evidence that he was ever ordained to the priesthood or served in a monastery or ever held an official appointment in the Emperor’s court.

Kontakia Style Hymns 

Romanos wrote many hymns celebrating the mystery of the Incarnation, the Passion, the Resurrection, and the living of a Christian life. Until the 12^th century his Christmas Kontakion was performed by a double choir (from Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Holy Apostles) at the Imperial banquet on that feast day.

Kontakia consist of 25 strophes (troparia), usually of 21 verses each, with a refrain. Dramatic and pathetic dialogue play a great part in the structure. Romanos’ works are essentially long metrical homilies, arranged in stanza form, set to music and designed to be sung after the reading of the scriptures as part of the morning prayers.  They were most probably chanted in urban churches and not monasteries, and are essentially sung sermons. The Greek word for this type of literary form is kontakion derived from the Greek word kontax, the  rod or staff around which the parchment scroll containing the text was originally wound. The works are a metrical scheme in which there is a pattern of conforming stressed and unstressed syllables in each line. This pattern of stress is determined by the pronounced and written accent. Classical poets like St. Gregory of Nazianzus who composed the Presanctified Liturgy based their writings on the quantity of time (long or short) needed to pronounce each syllable.

There is no complete edition of Romanos’ kontakia. Although the Synaxarion states that Romanos wrote “more than a thousand” hymns, Toppings feels that this is an exaggeration, a metaphor for the poet’s generous gift of hymnody to the church. Some 59 genuine hymns have been identified from medieval Byzantium, the remaining being lost. Unfortunately none of the music accompanying them survives. His most famous kontakia are those of Christmas, Pascha, and the Passion. St. Romanos is also said to have composed the Akathistos Hymnos, a kontakion which we still chant during the Friday evening services of Great Lent.

This literary form reached its highest development in Romanos’ kontakia with their elaborate metrical system and vigourous dialogues. Unfortunately the form degenerated in the following centuries. Romanos borrows heavily from earlier Greek sermons and other sources, though it is not certain whether he also depends on St. Ephram the Syrian. His masterpieces presented dignified diction and elaborate metrical patterns. He aimed not only to preach but to please. He seemed to be well trained before arriving in Constantinople and probably was well educated in one of the last schools of rhetoric still flourishing in 6^th century Syria.

Romanos’ Death 

Romanos died in peace on October 1st and is buried in the Church of the Theotokos, in Constantinople, where his feast is still celebrated. The exact year of his death is not precisely known. Many scholars set it as 555 AD,  based on an Imperial document of 551 and his apparent mention of violent earthquakes that shook the Near East in 552, 554, and 555 AD. He was a productive genius and artist, writing and accenting many  kontakia. He has been called the patron saint of all who sing for the Church. Others say he is the leader in the world of religious hymnology. Within a few decades after his death, Romanos was canonized and venerated in Byzantium and Armenia and after the 9^th century, in Russia. His icon pictures him in the white robes of a young deacon.

The only authority for the life and date of this greatest of  Orthodox hymnographers is the account in the Menaion for October (Feast Day, October 1). Beyond the description in the Menaion, there are only two mentions of St. Romanos’ name, one by the 8^th Century poet, St. Germanos, and one by Suidas who calls him “Romanos the melode”. None of the Byzantine writers on hymnography allude to him; his fame was practically extinguished by the newer school of hymn-writers which flourished in the 8^th and 9^th centuries. Krumbacher has made it fairly certain, by a number of critical arguments, that the emperor named in the Menaion as reigning when Romanos came to the capital, Constantinople, is Anastasius I (A.D. 491-518) and not Anastasius II (A.D. 713-716); Pitra and Stevenson are of the same opinion. Probably, then, he lived through the reign of Justinian (A.D. 527-565), who was himself a hymn-writer; this would make Romanos a contemporary with two other Byzantine hymnographers, Anastasios and Kyriakos.

“In poetic talent, fire of inspiration, depth of feeling, and elevation of language, he far surpasses all the other melodists. The literary history of the future will perhaps acclaim Romanos for the greatest ecclesiastical poet of all ages”, say Krumbacher. All the other critics of Byzantine poetry subscribe to his enthusiastic praise.

The following primary and secondary sources were used for this article:

Phillimore, J.S., transcribed by Herman F. Holbrook in The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. XIII, Robert Appleton CO., p. 154 (1912) which cites the following references:

Bouvy, Poetes et Melodes (Nimes, 1886)

Idem, Studien zu Romanos (Munich, 1899)

Idem, Umarbeitung bei Romanos (Munich, 1899)

Pitra, Hymnographie de l’Eglise grecque (Rome 1867)

Jacobi, Zur Geschichte des griechischen Kirchen liedes in Briegers Zeitschrift fur  

   Kirchengeschichte (1882), V, 177-250)

Krumbacher, Gesch d. byz. Literatur, Munich 312-318;

Poulos, George, Orthodox Saints: Spiritual Profiles for Modern Man, Oct 1 to December 31, Holy Cross

  Orthodox Press, Brookline, MA (1992)

Mitsaki, K., The language of Romanos the Melodist, C.H. Beck’she Verlagsbuchhandlung (Munich, 1967)

National Forum of Greek Orthodox Musicians (no date)

Schork, R.J., Sacred Song form the Byzantine Pulpit: Romanos the Melodist, University Press of Florida

  (1995)

Topping, Eva C., St. Romanos the Melodos: Prince of Byzantine Poets, Greek Orthodox Theological   Review, 24:65-75, Spring, (1979)      

Legend for the icon of St. Romanos which is to accompany this article:

Icon of St. Romanos by Matthew Garrett.  The saint is shown clothed in the white robes of a deacon and directing an antiphonal choir of men, on one side, and women on the other. Laminated copies of this icon are available from the Archdiocesan Bookstore.

Volunteerism or Stewardship

The Ministry of Church Singers

The Need for Good Choirs and Good Music

by Bishop Demetri (Khoury)

Address at the 12th Annual Sacred Music Institute

Antiochian Village, PA

Given in August, 1997

Good Evening! I hope that you are enjoying this 12^th Annual Sacred Music Institute. It is a great pleasure for me to be here not only as a speaker but also in my capacity as Overseer Hierarch for the Department of Sacred Music. And it is a pleasure to be here with all of you, who contribute so much to the beauty and dignity of the services conducted in our churches. I welcome you this evening not only as spiritual sons and daughters but also as beloved co-workers in the service of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Introduction

I was asked to speak this evening on the topic of "The Need For Good Choirs and Good Music." I hope and pray that I will deal with it properly, as this is a most important topic not only for us gathered at this seminar but in the ongoing spiritual life of this God-protected Archdiocese.

David the Psalmist tells us to "Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing ... Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise." (Psalm 100:1)

If we had to write a mission statement for choirs and chanters, and indeed the entire people of God gathered in prayer, it seems to me that this section from Psalm 100 fits the bill. It speaks in terms of invitation, of participation, of rejoicing and praising, and doing so with the right attitude. These are some of the things I want to focus on this evening.

St. Theophan the Recluse, the great 19^th century Russian monastic and bishop said of Church music: "The purpose of Church songs is precisely to make the spark of grace that is hidden with us burn brighter and with greater warmth. This spark is given by the sacraments. Psalms, hymns, and spiritual odes are introduced to fan the spark and transform it into flame..."

St. Theophan makes it quite clear that church music is meant to increase the grace of God in each one of us. That grace has been put there through the sacraments and it is through music that the "spark of grace" is made to burn more brightly. This grace is not meant to be static, hidden away and unused, nor is it meant to be left unexperienced. It is through church music that it becomes more active and burns with "greater warmth", not secular music, which by its very definition and its themes, seeks to stir up worldly feelings and emotions rather than the spark of grace! Some worldly music is appropriate for us and some isn’t, just as some "church" music is appropriate for us as Orthodox Christians and some is not.

St. Theophan goes on to say that "It is necessary not only to understand the song, but to be in symphony with it, to accept the contents of the song in heart and to sing it as if it came from our own heart… In the time of the Apostles only those who were in such a state used to sing; others entered into a similar mood and all the congregation sang and glorified God from the heart only. No wonder if, in consequence of this, the whole congregation was filled with the Spirit! What treasure is hidden in Church songs if they are performed properly!"

This teaching of St. Theophan’s in the 19^th century is an echo of the teaching of the Church Fathers. St. Athanasios for, example, said, "Those who sing properly psalmodize not only with their tongue, but also with their mind, and benefit greatly not only themselves but also those who desire to listen to them…" And St. John Chrysostom tells us that "Those who psalmodize are filled with the Holy Spirit, just as those who sing satanic songs are filled with an unclean spirit..."

If we in our churches are to produce genuinely spiritual music, what is necessary are choirs and chanters who are qualified on a technical basis and on a spiritual basis. Others, much more qualified than I have dealt and will deal with the technical aspects throughout this conference. My task is to focus on the spiritual bases.

Choir members and chanters must have true devotion to their work and they must always exhibit true humility. And they must always sing with what the Holy Fathers called "inner attention." What this means is that not only do we have to know and understand the music theory and technique, the melody and dynamics, but we also need to know and understand the words and the meaning behind the words. And just as we strive to express a hymn as best as possible on a musical level, so we must strive to also express its meaning. And we must do so without showing off, with none of the "worldly" characteristics of secular music. This was made clear in the 75^th Canon of the Council of Trullo which states, "We decree that those whose office is to psalmodize in the Churches do not use disorderly and loud vocalizations, nor force nature to shouting, nor adopt any of those modes which are inappropriate or unsuitable for the Church; but that they offer to God, Who is the observer of secrets, with great attention and compunction."

Thus it behooves us to pay strict attention to every aspect of our music ministry in the Church. This ministry demands of us absolute and total commitment. If we are to sing then we must practice. If we are to practice, then we must do so regularly and on time. If we are to minister well, we must be attentive first, to the inner demands and requirements of the piece we are singing, and then, secondarily, to the content of the music. In other words for those whose ministry is church music, the first requirement is a commitment to the Orthodox Faith, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the church, each hymn, verse, phrase and word of the divine services must be executed as it should be, clearly, in the right tempo, with natural accents proper to the language of the hymn. And outside the church each choir member or chanter must live a life that is consistent with what is sung in the church, a life that is exemplary, full of faith in God and love for Him as shown by love for one another. Remember that in baptism we put on Christ, for life! One who puts on the faith only during the services cannot be considered a true Christian.

What elements go into making a good choir?

(Fr. David Barr spoke on this topic in his presentation, "The Essence of Liturgical Singing", this morning). We need a proper understanding of all the elements which constitute Orthodox Liturgical Music.

First we must be well acquainted with the Orthodox Faith. By this I do not mean to imply that you should rush out and get a degree in Orthodox Theology. But you should be living a good Orthodox Christian life, one with a level of asceticism proper to your station as lay persons. Asceticism comes from the Greek ahs-kee-tees-mos, meaning "a whole system of personal discipline for the purpose of combating vice and developing personal virtues." In the Orthodox Tradition, such a system includes a personal private prayer life, daily spiritual reading - including the scriptures, frequent confession with a spiritual father of your choice, frequent communion, fasting, alms giving, and as much as possible, regular participation in the liturgical life of your parish. When we immerse ourselves in the life of the Church in all its aspects, then and only then do we begin to understand what the Church is teaching us through its prayers and hymns. Without first understanding what the Church is teaching us, we cannot teach others.

Having looked to the state of our spiritual health we can then effectively and appropriately address the technical aspects of the church music we are dealing with.

There is no act, no work, no service in the Church that does not require preparation. Every time a priest celebrates the Divine Liturgy he begins by entering the church and saying the Kairon or Preparation Prayers. After these he vests saying the Vesting Prayers. Following this he washes his hands saying verses from Psalm 26. He prepares the bread and wine in a special service called the Proskomide or Preparation of the Bread and Wine. And then he begins to celebrate the Divine Liturgy.

Singing in church is no exception. It requires a great deal of preparation. In fact one may say that to be most effective all those involved in music ministry must be constantly working to maintain that ministry. In other words your ministry and the preparation for and maintenance of that ministry never stop. Otherwise your ministry is fruitless and unworthy. No one should hide behind the argument that "I have been singing in the choir for decades — I don’t need to prepare! I know it all already!" Every act of ministry in the Church, if it is to be effective and fulfill God’s plan, needs preparation. Specifically this preparation includes:

1. A good spiritual life as outlined above.
2. The technical aspects. You must train your voice under a qualified director and then keep your voice in good form. This can be done at home or at work by singing the music you have learned at rehearsals. Doing this not only keeps your voice in good form but it also gives praise to God continually and helps you to maintain your spiritual health.
3. Necessity of preparation (Fr. Elias Meena touched on this, in part, in his presentation "Finding Liturgical Texts" last evening): You must have regular, weekly rehearsals. If your parish choir is not doing so, you must begin to do this immediately upon returning to your home parish. Every single choir member should be in attendance. In some parishes if a choir member misses a rehearsal, they are not allowed to sing the following Sunday. But this rule is good only if it is consistently enforced. Choir directors should not be discouraged by lack of attendance. Even if only two or three people show up on a given day, the director should rehearse those two or three. Any choir member who cannot or will not accept these requirements should step down and put aside this ministry. We cannot forget that it is indeed a ministry. It is not a hobby or a pastime. We are ministering to the Body of Christ and to do so effectively requires work and constant practice.

Chanters need to prepare services in advance. Check with your priest to determine if any other services will be done in the next few weeks. Verify the time, the feast day if there is one, the texts needed and where they can be found. Read over the texts several times well in advance of the actual service. They will become familiar to you and there will less chance of stumbling over a phrase or mispronouncing a word.

There is also the important consideration of the role that chanters play in their ministry — of teaching by their chanting. They must not fall into the bad habit of singing the texts for themselves only, as if their function were a personal privilege or a private act. The texts of the Church’s services are amazingly rich in their theological, spiritual, and didactic or teaching content. Approaching their task with proper preparation beforehand, the chanters become teaching assistants of the Church and the clergy. They must keep in mind that they are not reading or chanting only for themselves but also for the parishioners as well. Keeping in mind that they are "teaching" the parishioners, they will comprehend the need to be adequately familiar not only with the wording of the texts but also with the proper execution, stressing some words and phrases more than others. As the faithful hear the words, there will be an immediate understanding. This proper understanding will then lead to the words and what they teach, being absorbed into the hearts and minds of the parishioners, where they will do the most good.

4. Being on time is as essential as being at rehearsals. To breeze into the church five minutes before a service begins, shows a total disregard and lack of respect for the service and for others. This must not be tolerated at all. Remember what Canon 75 of the Council of Trullo said about singing with "attention and compunction." We cannot arrive at the church and immediately begin to sing.

We need to adjust from being in the world, to being in "the Kingdom". We need time to decompress from the rush-rush attitude of this world to the timelessness of the world to come. Those who arrive late are usually always late. This tendency needs to be charitably pointed out to them with the request that they repent of this sin and begin to arrive early. Just as the deacons, the priests and yes, the bishops, have to slowly withdraw from the cares and concerns of this world to serve the liturgy, so do you who sing have to slowly withdraw from the same world. You need a time of quiet preparation just as the clergy do, for the God who is praised and served from the Altar is the same God who is praised and served from the choir loft or the chanters stand or the pew.

5. In the vast majority of our parishes few of the faithful, including choir members and chanters are in church other than on Sunday morning. While there may be unavoidable reasons for this, we must do everything in our power to remedy the situation. None of us can be "Sunday Christians." As much as possible every member of the choir and every chanter should be present for services held during the week, especially the Evening Divine Liturgies, which were authorized by the Archdiocese specifically to make it easier for the faithful to be present at the Feast Day celebrations. Our sense of values must be such that church attendance is the first and highest priority. Anyone who says that this is not realistic given today’s society and values needs to hear that yes it is realistic because other people are doing it. Those who say it is to difficult because there is not enough time should have pointed out to them the fact that others manage to find the time and the means. For all our talk on the need to focus on family values our problem these days is not one of time, but one of values. We talk about values but do nothing about them. We have to translate our talk into action We speak of having values but often times do not indeed have them or if we have them do not place a proper emphasis on those values.

Church Music vs. Secular Music

There is a disturbing increase not only in the desire for but also the performance of music in our churches which is wholly inappropriate. Our clergy must insist that only music approved by the Archdiocese be allowed during the celebration of any sacraments, especially weddings. The Archdiocese has made a considerable concession in allowing secular music to be played before and after weddings, but not during weddings. This must be adhered to by everyone, the clergy, the choir, directors, the chanters, and the faithful. Your ministry is one which requires not only the cooperation of the clergy but also cooperation with the clergy. When your priest explains that a piece of music is inappropriate, you need to be understanding and agree with him both privately and publicly. As others see you and your priest in agreement and cooperating with each other, they also will begin to do the same. In this way a climate of harmonious understanding and cooperation spreads throughout the entire parish.

Equally important is the need to be aware of and to follow the Archdiocesan Guidelines regarding approved music and approved liturgical practices. I will deal with these a bit later.

It is very disturbing for me and for many of the clergy to hear the constant demand for "shorter" services. I ask you just how much do you think we can shorten the services before they no longer resemble the original? Just as disturbing is the need that some, both clergy and laity, have for lengthening the services unnecessarily. We must accept once and for all that the monastic vocation is unique and different from that of the average lay person. While totally appropriate for monastics to spend as many as 7-8 hours a day in church, aside from an hour or two of private personal prayer in their cells, it is totally inappropriate to expect lay persons to do the same thing in a parochial setting. The Archdiocese has published clear directions on how each service, Vespers, Orthros, the Divine Liturgy, the Evening Divine Liturgy, during Lent and during Holy Week, etc., is to be conducted. As good Orthodox Christians it is our responsibility to follow these guidelines. Christ directed severe criticism to the scribes and Pharisees when he condemned them saying, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widow’s houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation." (Matthew 23:14) We cannot lay upon the shoulders of the faithful any more than they are able to carry. And the faithful must not be faint of heart when it comes to doing what is justifiably asked of them.

Thus, it is very important for a good choir to follow the priest’s instructions regarding the order of the service, the texts to be used, who will do the various parts of service, the tempo and rhythm of the service. Neither the priest, deacon, the chantors or the choirs should drag out any part of any service. None of us, neither clergy or laity are "performing" — we are praying and leading others in prayer!

All should be in agreement with the published guidelines of the Archdiocese. Uniformity and consistency are not dirty words! We should not be afraid of uniformity and we should not find consistency distasteful. If anything they make music better and the choirs that sing that music better. The end result is better liturgical services, and better worship. The final result is that our praising God becomes better as well.

Review of Archdiocesan Guidelines

From The Priest’s Guide, Second Edition, 1994.

I’m sure that all of you know by now that we must have choirs and chanters in each parish, paid if necessary and that the priest is responsible to oversee their work. I don’t think any more needs to be said on this subject. Just as clear is that we are to celebrate Feast Days when they occur except on Sundays or Mondays when they should be celebrated on Sunday. The particular feasts to be observed have also been clearly listed, as have the rubrics and the order of the services to be used. Again we are all familiar with the services which should be celebrated during Great Lent as well as the proper rubrics and music to be used. The Word magazine publishes annually a well-written article dealing with these services, so I need not bore you by repeating this information.

In November 1994, a directive from His Eminence addressed to Choir Directors and Choir Members in the Antiochian Archdiocese appeared in The Word. Listed in this article were some of the sources approved for use in our Archdiocese, namely; The Volumes of the Byzantine Project: Saturday Vespers, Sunday Matins, Holy Week, The Pentecostarion, The Triodion and The Menaion. Together they number well over 2900 pages of music.

I must point out at this time that the Archdiocese has recently published the long-awaited Congregational Liturgy Music book entitled "The Divine Liturgy for Clergy and Laity — Text and Music for Congregational Participation" I quote from the Letter of Authorization from His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP:

The practice of congregational participation is of the essence of the Orthodox Church and should be used wherever possible. We do not intend hereby to replace our church choirs [or chanters - ed. note] or the important ministry they offer; on the contrary, we mean to have the choirs lead the rest of the laity into a fuller, more prayerful liturgical experience and to supplement their own angelic voices. With the Psalmist let us cry, "I will declare Thy Name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation, I will sing praise to Thee" (Hebrews 2:12; Psalm 22:22).

I hope that this will put to rest the notion that we intend to get rid of choirs and chanters. Never! So please stop worrying.

With the increase of number of bishops, we have realized the value of using the Evening Divine Liturgy in conjunction with pastoral visits and priestly elevations. Fr. David Barr dealt with this alternate form of the Evening Divine Liturgy in his presentation earlier today. An edition of this liturgy was prepared last year and Fr. David now has a copy of it so that he can format it for general use.

The Article "Choir Directors and Choir Members," The Word — November 1994.

His Eminence stressed the need to maintain the Paschal character of Sunday Divine Liturgy. It is a "little Easter." We can reflect the joyful mood of the liturgy by keeping the chronos, the tempo, the timing at a lively pace. The liturgy should not be dragged out by the priest, deacon or choir!" In addition it was clearly stated by His Eminence that we are to sing the antiphons "as are sung by the Church of Antioch". These are clearly spelled out in the Chanters Guide. We do not substitute other hymns such as "Bless the Lord, O my soul" and "The Beatitudes". The "Holy God..." should be especially joyful on Sundays and sung with great gusto!

From the Minutes of the Meetings of the Bishops of the Archdiocese

Meetings of 31 August 1995, 24 April 1996 & Meeting of 7 May 1997 —

Agenda Item 9: #6 There should be general uniformity of rubrics employed in the celebration of divine services in our parishes and missions…

#7 There are only two English language styles authorized for use in divine services in our Archdiocese: (1) the traditional "thee" English employed in the liturgical publications produced and/or approved by our Archdiocese, and (2) the modern "you" English translations authorized for in parishes of the former AEOM. The so-called "SCOBA translation" of the Divine Liturgy has never been approved by SCOBA and is no longer authorized for testing in our Archdiocese.

#5 Uniformity of liturgical music and rubrics

Music: Our Archdiocese has historically effected a synthesis of the Byzantine, Slavic and other traditional styles of Orthodox liturgical music in the English language. Our Archdiocese has invested a lot of time, effort and funds in the Byzantine Project which was produced by Professor Basil Kazan and Mr. Raymond George. Thankfully, many choirs, most notably that of St. Philip Church in Souderton, Pennsylvania, under the direction of Khouriya Joyce Black, have used the publications of the Byzantine Project to master Byzantine chant in the English language. While the Byzantine style is certainly to be encouraged, other traditional styles are also "appropriate to our pan-Orthodox experience in this country."

Not permitted is the use of non-Orthodox music, except in the following limited circumstances: (a) appropriate non-Orthodox "religious" music is permitted to be sung in the church temple before and/or after a wedding ceremony with the approval of the pastor, and (b) appropriate "religious" Christmas carols are permitted to be sung in the church temple following divine services from the feast of the Nativity through its leave-taking with the approval of the pastor.

Rubrics: Metropolitan Philip stated it is not our practice to interrupt the sequence of the Little Entrance Hymn with a "Glory" and a "Both now."

#6 AEOM Liturgy and Music

Metropolitan Philip stated that all parishes of the former A.E.O.M. are to begin using the official (traditional-language) service books and liturgical music of the Archdiocese by November of 1999.

Conclusion

Centuries ago the Church had a custom of including the singers among the orders of clergy. A listing of church offices in order of rank has come down to us from the Council of Laodicea (AD 343-381). It lists: presbyters (priest), deacons, sub-deacons, readers, singers, exorcists, door-keepers, and ascetics.

Today, choir members are rarely, if ever at all, tonsured nor are they considered "clergy" in any formal sense. But the function they exercise remains just as important, elevated and vital as in the early Church. To be included as a member of the choir or numbered as a chanter should still be considered the high calling which it truly is. Choir members, directors and chanters cannot and must not separate their musical role from their personal piety and spirituality. Neither can they assume a level of authority not given to them by the Church. Each person has a ministry to fulfill within the Body of Christ. And each of us, when fulfilling that ministry, must always keep in mind the admonition of St. Paul to the Hebrews, "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for you souls, as those who must give an account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably" (Hebrews 13:17-18).

I thank you for your patient attention this evening, as well as for taking this valuable time from your jobs and families to be here for the Sacred Music Institute. On behalf of His Eminence Metropolitan PHILIP, their Graces the other auxiliary bishops and the faithful of our God-protected Archdiocese I extend my thanks to all of you for the devotion and love which you bring to your ministry of music. I also extend thanks to Mr. Raymond J. George and all the members of the Department of Sacred Music who worked so diligently to put together another fantastic seminar and to the speakers who gave so much of their time to this effort. God bless you and continue to shower all of you with His most abundant blessings.

Authentic Church Music

By Rev. John Finley, B.M., M.A., M.S.T.

2002 Conference on Missions and Evangelism
The Gospel in Song: Music, Missions and Evangelism
August 30-September 02, 2002

Just as an authentic icon makes visible for us, the invisible Kingdom of God, so too, authentic Church music makes audible for us the inaudible song of the angels around the throne of God.

And just as an icon of Christ or the Theotokos differs in style from nation to nation, and from one century to the next, so too, a musical setting of a hymn to Christ or to His mother differs in style from nation to nation and from one century to the next.

Because we respect the tradition of the Church, and because we know that no culture or no era stands in isolation from another in Church History, we seek to develop Church art in a living continuity with the past, realizing however, that the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church to which we are united, is not simply the Church of the past, but also of the present and of the future.

Our Patriarch Ignatius IV commenting in his book The Resurrection and Modern Man on the Apocalyptic verse "Behold, I make all things new" emphasizes that God comes into the world from the future.[1] So, too, should our music, and iconography be made new from generation to generation, not in the sense of radical innovation or novelty, but new according to the renewal of the Holy Spirit in the Church. We must trust that the Holy Spirit will reveal the mind of the Church in every generation and in every nation as the faithful apply the great commission not only to the spread of the Orthodox faith in thought, word and deed, but also in Christian art.

Each nation and every generation must be taught and baptized. Every culture must be sanctified, and the effective missionary will find things already existing in the culture to illustrate the universality of the Gospel, just as St. Paul did at the altar of the unknown god (Acts 17:23) and the Russian missionaries with the native culture of Alaska.[2]

In our day and age, music abounds in so many forms. Church music abounds in many forms. Authentic Church music of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church abounds in expressions from other cultures, other nations, and previous generations. We know our roots, and because we live in America, we have to say "roots" and not "root" because we live in the melting pot of the world. Concerning the Church, it is no different. We live in the musical and iconographic melting pot of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

There are forces at work, however, that would prevent us from baptizing our nation with the whole tradition that has been handed down to us. We have the Bible, the Liturgy, the Councils, the Fathers, the canons and the lives of the saints. All these things have been translated into English, so that we can read, study and worship in our own tongue. To a certain degree, our architecture, music and iconography remain in what might be called "cultural captivity".

Perhaps it is because art, more than any of these other aspects of our holy tradition, expresses our ethnic and nationalistic roots and our love for the fatherland. But what is the true fatherland? Is it not the kingdom of God not of this world, the age to come, the eschaton? It is this kingdom, which demands our ultimate loyalty and the culture of this kingdom, which we are called to preserve and protect.

Authentic Church music is music that helps us to pray, to worship God, to enter the heavenly Holy of Holies. Authentic Church music is Orthodox Church music. But when we say the word "Orthodox" what do we mean? Do we mean Church music that finds its root and expression in certain geographical areas of the world? Is Orthodox Church music limited to that music, which through the centuries has been developed in the great patriarchal, sees of Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome? Should we add Moscow and Kiev, and throw out Rome because of the great schism? Is Orthodox Church music limited to Byzantine, Russian, Romanian, Serbian, Carpathian and Bulgarian?

How did the music of the Church in Russian become Russian? Since the faith was received from Ss. Cyril and Methodios, its roots are Byzantine, or is it? Are we not aware that the music of today's Church in Russia was heavily influenced under the reign of Peter the Great by the Polish-Ukrainian composers of the 17^th Century followed by the Italian-style choral polyphony of the 18^th and 19^th Centuries?[3]

Is the Byzantine music that we sing today really Byzantine, i.e. from the Byzantine era of the 4^th through the 15^th Centuries?[4] Are we not aware that the Church music of the See of Constantinople was heavily influenced by the demands of the Turks after the fall of the empire in 1453 AD? Are we aware that the authentic music of the Byzantine Church lost its diatonic character and accepted enharmonic and chromatic intervals during this period of the Turkish yoke?[5] Are we aware that the music of today's churches in the Byzantine tradition throughout the entire Mediterranean region of the world is the result of the codification of these oriental elements by Chrysanthus in the 19^th Century and is scarcely 200 years old?[6]

Why is it necessary to point out all these things? Is it to shock us or to scandalize us? Absolutely not. Rather, it is important to note that the Church has always accepted certain cultural adaptations of its music in order to minister to the faithful, to further the spread of the Gospel and to continue to baptize the culture in which it finds itself, and in order to continue living in the renewal of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

Again, it is important to ask, what is "Orthodox" Church music? Is it simply music that is contrasted in its sound and use in worship to Roman Catholic music, Episcopalian music, Baptist music, or Mega Church Music? Are we simply another denomination with our own brand of Church music to be used as a kind of badge or nametag so people know who we are, so that we can simply distinguish (or denominate) ourselves from others who call themselves Christian?

In the 4^th Century, St. Ambrose of Milan, whom we commemorate on December 7^th, wrote countless hymns in Latin, rhymed and metered in long meter.[7] Are these hymns Orthodox? If we are referring to their theological content and use in true prayer and spiritual ascent in worship, the answer is a resounding YES. If however, we say that they are not Orthodox because he lived in Italy or was a bishop in the See of Rome, we are sadly mistaken.

Rome was Orthodox in the 4^th Century and St. Ambrose is our saint, and his writings and hymns belong to the body Patristic literature handed down to us through the ages. Obviously his hymns are not prescribed for us to sing in our services since they are not found in our Typikon or in our hymnals; nevertheless, this example is used to challenge our perspective in terms of how we use the word "Orthodox".

Orthodox music is not defined by its nationalistic culture or geographical origin. Neither is it defined simply in denominational (i.e. prejudicial) terms. The one, holy catholic and apostolic Church is not a denomination.

Orthodox Church music is that music which raises the eyes of our hearts to see the True Light. Orthodox Church music lifts up our hearts to receive the Heavenly Spirit and discover the true faith as we worship the undivided Trinity in the Kingdom of God not of this world. Orthodox Church Music, authentic Church music as such, transcends all cultural and denominational expressions and labels.

Some may negatively assume that such a proposal must necessarily lead to the development of an American Orthodox music, which will sound like Protestant music or the 70's rock and roll Christian music of the baby boomer generation's surfer churches. On the contrary, we are hinting at the development of authentic sacred music for the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America, a music founded on "that which has been delivered to us", but which is also the result of our interaction as Orthodox Christians with the surrounding American culture.

Others may say that western music lacks that "mystical" quality of the eastern musical tradition, which is so important to our worship. We should be reminded once again, however, that Orthodoxy couldn't be defined in geographical terms. The Orthodox Faith and worship is not trapped in its architecture, music or iconography in the eastern hemisphere. If it is trapped, then we need to free it from its bonds.

It is therefore incumbent upon us, here today at this Conference on Missions and Evangelism to struggle with these issues, to humble ourselves before God, to lay down the sword used to attack our own and to raise it up instead, against the Devil. So, who is the Devil? Any person who disagrees with me? Let's hope not. The Devil is the one who would foil our mission to bring America to it's true spiritual home in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.

We need to band together as a family, as brothers and sisters in Christ for the great challenge ahead of us. We need to encourage those among us whom God has gifted with music to exercise and multiply their talents for the spread of the Gospel in this nation. In order to do this, we need to look at the progress that has already been made, follow in those footsteps, and then forge ahead where the need is felt and the Spirit of God leads.

A path has already been cut by Orthodox American musical pioneers such as the Priest Michael G.H. Gelsinger, Professor Michael Hilko, the Archpriest James Meena, Frederick Karam, Basil Kazan, Raymond George, the Archpriest Antony Bassoline, the priest Sergei Glagolev, the priests Vladimir and Igor Soroka. These and many others have taken English translations of our hymns and set them to traditional old country melodies, transposed the Byzantine notation into western musical notation, (i.e., five lines and four spaces) and harmonized Byzantine melodies. Some composers have even produced new melodies that do not belong to any 8-tone system, but are somehow reminiscent of the long-standing "Church sound", i.e., the sound of heaven.

So, where do we go from here? This question is being posed fundamentally to the composers and arrangers of music for the Church. What is the next step? The answer that came to me from Fr. John Namie of blessed memory will surprise you. He said to me,  "Fast and pray. If you fast and pray, just as the iconographer fasts and prays before he or she produces an icon, you will produce music that we can use to pray."

So, we must become spiritual musicians, a holy people, and a people after God's own heart. The King of Rock and the King of Pop will not likely produce the music for our prayer, but musicians who pray will produce music for prayer.

Our objective is not to save our kids with musical cultural relevancy, although we want our kids to be saved. But children respond to spiritual authenticity and repel hypocrisy. If we as musicians don't pray, if our only experience of church is Sunday Divine Liturgy, if we don't understand the liturgical cycles and structure of the services Vespers, Matins, Holy Week, major feasts and such, we may produce American music for the Church, but will it be Orthodox sacred music for prayer in America?

In addition, we need to continue working on the translations of our texts into English, and improve on existing ones.[8] We should continue the work of transcribing Byzantine notation into modern western linear notation and adopt modern western scale intervals.[9] We need to simplify the melodies in connection with the texts and encourage congregational participation.[10] We should encourage the harmonization of the melodies.[11] I have heard it said that the great musical contribution of the East is its melodies and the great contribution of the West is its development of harmony. What better place than America to bring these two great traditions together to form something uniquely American in terms of Orthodox Music? This, of course, has already been done in Russia, and will undoubtedly be a powerful influence on what is done in America in this area of musical development.

Finally, we need to work on a blend of musical renderings by clergy, cantors, choir and congregation, but not exclusively any one of these. The congregation should sing the responses, acclamations, and dialogues, but the fixed and variable sung hymnody and psalmody should include this blend described above.

In conclusion, I would like to thank the Department of Missions and Evangelism and the Department of Sacred Music of the Antiochian Archdiocese of North America for sponsoring this weekend entitled The Gospel in Song: Music, Missions and Evangelism. My prayer today, is that the leadership of these departments will rediscover that artistic path which has already been cut for us, and organize the construction of a musical, architectural and iconographic superhighway that will allow all Americans seeking the true faith, to make their journey home to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. Amen.

[1] "Another obvious point that stands out in this biblical vision of history is that the transfiguring power of the New Creation is explained not by the past, but be the future. It is clear  that the action of the living God can only be transfiguring and creative. But the marvel of God who revealed himself in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is that His creative act comes from the future; it is prophetic. God "comes" into the world; He is before us, and we go out to meet Him who calls us, who quickens us, who sends us out, who makes us grow, and who liberates us." Patriarch Ignatius IV, The Resurrection and Modern Man, p.32

[2] the Orthodox missionaries realized they were not entering a spiritual vacuum as they arrived from Siberia. The inua as the inner life-force of every creature did exist, according to Christian doctrine, but not conceptualized in exactly the same way as the traditional Alaskans had conceived of it. The intrinsic link between the visible and spiritual worlds also existed, the created universe being God's self-expression, a sign of His love. The ambivalence an Artic hunting society "naturally" felt toward their prey and their attempts at stabilizing and purifying their relationship with the creatures on whose deaths their lives depended were readily intelligible from the Orthodox theological perspective. The intimate relationship between the name and the person in traditional Alaskan cultures echoed an ancient biblical theme. What the mission came to contribute was the personal identity of the One who is the inua of all things: Jesus Christ. As the Way, the Truth, and the Life, He also liberates humanity from biological determinism, abolishing the terrifying sense of instability and defilement traditional peoples have always known. Without destroying their positive reverence for life, the mission set the whale hunters free, nourishing them, in the Eucharist with Living Bread and Living Water." Michael Oleska, ed., Alaskan Missionary Spirituality, p.29

[3] The period of Polish-Ukrainian influence, marked by the florid, often poly-choral "part" style, as well as the simpler "kant" style inspired by the Protestant chorale. This period extends from the second half of the seventeenth century to the mid-eighteenth or slightly later. Johann von Gardner, Russian Church Singing volume 1 translated by Vladimir Morosan, p. 145. The period of Italian influence, especially Italian-style choral polyphony. This period was relatively brief, lasting from the middle of the eighteenth through the first third of the nineteenth century. Ibid. p 145.

[4] The modern system is radically different from the medieval system. Medieval Byzantine Chant is wholly diatonic. Oliver Strunk, Essays on Music in the Byzantine World, p16. It can be played with sufficient accuracy on a modern keyboard instrument. H.J.W. Tillyard, Byzantine Music and Hymnography, p.44.

[5] The modern system includes chromatic and enharmonic scales in addition to the diatonic (Savas J. Savas,  Byzantine Music Theory and Practice, pp 41-42 [Holy Cross Press edition, 1975]).

[6] The modern Chrysanthine system developed or was introduced in 1821. The whole fabric is not Greek at all, but Oriental i.e. Arabo-Turkish. H.J.W. Tillyard, Byzantine Music and Hymnography, p. 63.

[7]"

Splendor paternae gloriae,
De luce lucem proferens,
Lux lucis et fons luminis,
Dies diem illuminans."
- St. Ambrose of Milan

An English translation by Robert Bridges:

"O splendor of God's glory bright,
O Thou that bringest light from light.
O Light of light, lights living spring,
O Day, all days illumining."

[8] We need to improve existing texts and translate those not presently in English in cooperation with the Department of Liturgics and translation. We should acknowledge the immense work already accomplished by Metropolitan Antony Bashir, Archbishop Samuel David, Isabel Florence Hapgood, Fr. Seraphim Nassar, Fr. Steven Upson and others.

[9] This will, given time, effectively conform all Byzantine melodies to a diatonic equal-tempered scale. According to Byzantine Musical theorists, Medieval Byzantine Music was wholly diatonic anyway. So this could be construed as a move back toward a more pure form of Byzantine chant rather than a perversion of it.

We should further acknowledge the monumental work of Fr. James Meena, Professor Michael Hilko, Dr. Michael Gelsinger, as well as outspoken advocates of this direction: Fr. Paul Schneirla - 1954, Fr. Michael Simon, Fr. Wakeem Dalack, Miss Barbara Joseph and Peter Michaeledes.

[10] "Byzantine music will fall into disuse if serious measures are not taken...This is not to say that Byzantine Music in every detail is absolutely adaptable to the current situation of the Church especially in the Diaspora (USA). There will be some modifications necessary." N. Apostola, A Guide to the Music of the Eastern Orthodox Church, p. XII

Often manipulating the words to fit the music preserves the melodies. "This is not good Byzantine Music. In Byzantine Music the words are primary. If a hymn does not make sense in the language in which it is being sung, then it does not matter how beautiful the melody is. The music is there to serve the words; the words do not serve the music. This is theology, not simply 'taste"! The human person is first 'logical' or 'rational' being created in the image and likeness of God. The words of the hymn are the means by which we contemplate God, pray to God, and learn about God. The music is but a 'skin' if you will, surrounding the words of the hymn. Unfortunately, creating both the best translations of the hymns and the most effective melody for the hymn requires generations of effort." Ibid, p XIII

This task will require a great deal of study on the part of composers and arrangers of Byzantine Music. A knowledge of the basic melodic characteristics of each tone is required, as well as a knowledge of the particular version of a tone with respect to the particular type of hymn being set. i.e. which hymns use the fast, slow, or papadica version of each tone.

[11] We should acknowledge Fr. James Meena, Dr. Frederich Karam, and Mr. Raymond George for their pioneering work in this area.

"The problems involved in preparing such music are many. Ancient Byzantine melodies do not lend themselves easily to harmonization, however, contemporary Byzantine melodies have been strongly influenced by other cultures and, more and more, the perceptive ear can discover a definite modal harmony suggested by the melodic line. Although this is not true in all cases, it appears often enough to lend conviction to such a theory.

"Further, it is my contention that Byzantine Chant as it is known today, can be harmonized in most cases, while characteristics of the mode are still preserved. We must understand that some melodic freedom will be lost in harmonization, but that that loss can be justified by the use of rich, (and discreet) harmony.

"...I do not wish to imply that I have solved the problem of harmony as related to Byzantine Chant. Rather it is my sincere hope that this is a step in the right direction. May future generations evolve a more satisfactory system." - Fr. James Meena