St. Euphrosynos Taverna and Ouzeri 44 (6)

[ArmyMatt]

that stinks, and I know that would not fly at STOTS (and many of the OCA parishes I have been to thank God)

 

[gzt]

Well, you don't know what I mean by a little sloppy here. My standards for sloppy are pretty high - and I do appreciate being a little dégagé at times - I mean, I've been at enough liturgies with a bishop serving as a priest, that can be nice.

I haven't seen hierarchical liturgies at STOTS, so I don't know how it goes there.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Hierarchical Liturgy. I had to look that up.

Wow ... we haven't had a hierarch visit our parish since I've been there. Now I'm in the choir - that would indeed be difficult for me at least to keep up all those changes - I'm VERY used to the service being exactly the same except for some changes in the hymns and lines from the Psalms.

I did visit a Church in Dallas with about six clergy celebrating the Divine Liturgy, and it did seem very complicated in some places.

I would actually very much like to see this. But unless it was Greek, I wouldn't be so quick to recognize the differences.

 

[gzt]

It's easier for the choir than the servers, really. For the choir, I mean, you sing "eis polla" a few times, the trisagion gets done differently, "come let us worship" is changed slightly, you add 'i zavsex i zavsya' after 'i vsex i vsya'... The only parts that are really tricky are the entrance and trisagion. After that, it's just, "Do we sing eis polla now?"

 

[All4Christ]

It's easier for the choir than the servers, really. For the choir, I mean, you sing "eis polla" a few times, the trisagion gets done differently, "come let us worship" is changed slightly, you add 'i zavsex i zavsya' after 'i vsex i vsya'... The only parts that are really tricky are the entrance and trisagion. After that, it's just, "Do we sing eis polla now?"

The hardest part for us is when we sing Slavonic instead of English. Everyone has a double take when it is changed over and we have to switch languages in our head. Beyond that though, it's just a matter of following the director. It helps when people actually come to rehearsal and don't just decide to sing without practicing the more choral pieces (traditional Russian choral) with the choir ahead of time. I hate it when it sounds beautiful at practice and people who don't go mess it up, despite being asked to not sing on the difficult songs they haven't practiced.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Well, you don't know what I mean by a little sloppy here. My standards for sloppy are pretty high - and I do appreciate being a little dégagé at times - I mean, I've been at enough liturgies with a bishop serving as a priest, that can be nice.

I haven't seen hierarchical liturgies at STOTS, so I don't know how it goes there.

you should come check out the Memorial Day pilgrimmage

 

[~Anastasia~]

It's easier for the choir than the servers, really. For the choir, I mean, you sing "eis polla" a few times, the trisagion gets done differently, "come let us worship" is changed slightly, you add 'i zavsex i zavsya' after 'i vsex i vsya'... The only parts that are really tricky are the entrance and trisagion. After that, it's just, "Do we sing eis polla now?"

Oh, I can appreciate that others have it MORE difficult. But I'm two weeks in the choir, and while I know the regular music very well (I don't read music fast enough, but I think I have a good ear) ... any change in music always throws me for a loop.

And if it happens to be that a different composition is necessary I really would be in trouble. I am so used to what we do, and just barely learning that there is so much variation out there. It is my lack of knowledge that would make it difficult for me - personally.

 

[gzt]

Yeah, if you're only at a hierarchical liturgy once per year at most (if that), you're lost, but if you've been to a couple dozen, it's like, whatever.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Yeah, if you're only at a hierarchical liturgy once per year at most (if that), you're lost, but if you've been to a couple dozen, it's like, whatever.

Ah, well, we are just small-time and off on our own a bit down here. Maybe at the consecration I wanted to go to but missed? I don't know of any upcoming plans for one.

Maybe if I go somewhere, I will get to see one. But at least I don't have to worry too much for being in the choir. And if it does happen here, hopefully there will be others who know what's going on and I will just be quiet in places I might mess up.

 

[E.C.]

As a former server this is what I have to say about hierarchical liturgies: Whatever the subdeacon says, goes. Not the priest, not the deacon, heck, not even the bishop; but, whatever the subdeacon says goes.

From the local bishop in town for a visit to even the OCA All-American Council with the entire Synod (minus one Archbishop Nikon who was ill for a few weeks) there is one thing the holds true: The only person in charge is the subdeacon and whatever he says, goes!


All you choir-singing guys got it easy

 

[gzt]

Definitely on the subdeacon comment.

 

[ArmyMatt]

one of my fellow seminarians is a subdeacon for Vladyka Michael of NY, and he loooooooooooves directing traffic during a hierarchical liturgy. it is pretty cool to watch him direct traffic, especially as an alter server with him.

 

[gzt]

See that was one of the nice things there - no visibly directing traffic! (sure, in the altar, I would be shocked if there weren't some)

 

[E.C.]

one of my fellow seminarians is a subdeacon for Vladyka Michael of NY, and he loooooooooooves directing traffic during a hierarchical liturgy. it is pretty cool to watch him direct traffic, especially as an alter server with him.

I was serving at some of the Liturgies during the AAC back in 2011. It was a hoot! Half-a-dozen subdeacons all of whom would show up an hour ahead of time for each Liturgy to divide the turf. They were thick as thieves and looked like a group of mobsters planning their next hit.

See that was one of the nice things there - no visibly directing traffic! (sure, in the altar, I would be shocked if there weren't some)

See? That means there's a good subdeacon who knows what he's doing!

 

[~Anastasia~]

LOL, y'all are too funny. I especially like the mobster-planning image.

 

[Anhelyna]

Try a Hierarchical Liturgy when the Parish has never had to put 'one on' before - the Bishop's visits were always informal , this one was very very different - the Patriarch would be present. The Subdeacon was borrowed from another country , the Deacon had never served in English before [ and it was the last time he would do so ] the servers were mainly young boys [ and beautifully behaved ] Orlets were borrowed from various places , we had no idea as to how many clergy would be present till they arrived. No Choir , chanter was a visitor [ though very used to the Parish ]

Oh should also have said that the Deacon didn't belong either He was borrowed too

OH and to add to the interest, Clergy used English and people used their own language.

It was FABULOUS - no other way to describe it.

The next day was just the Parish ' normal' Sunday Liturgy - but yes the Patriarch Served and we only used one language . Utterly utterly unforgettable experiences

 

[All4Christ]

We had our parish altar feast yesterday. We have been waiting and waiting for the permit to go through for our new property and church building for probably a year and a half. The township kept rejecting it back. We had a molieben for the start of good works in faith afterwards. Later that day, we FINALLY got the permit! We are starting to build next week!! Glory to God!

 

[Anhelyna]

That's fantastic news

 

[~Anastasia~]

We had our parish altar feast yesterday. We have been waiting and waiting for the permit to go through for our new property and church building for probably a year and a half. The township kept rejecting it back. We had a molieben for the start of good works in faith afterwards. Later that day, we FINALLY got the permit! We are starting to build next week!! Glory to God!

How wonderful!

 

[ArmyMatt]

We had our parish altar feast yesterday. We have been waiting and waiting for the permit to go through for our new property and church building for probably a year and a half. The township kept rejecting it back. We had a molieben for the start of good works in faith afterwards. Later that day, we FINALLY got the permit! We are starting to build next week!! Glory to God!

awesome news!