~Anastasia~

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OH BOY - ain't that the truth !!

I was taught about the age of 15 , by my father to read in Church - and he was very very hot on that. Not just that and also to ensure that your voice carries you should bear in mind the person furthest away from you and make sure that occasionally you actually look at him . That's an old tip which helps you to project your voice without shouting.

I've taught quite a few folk that way [ admittedly it's easier if they are facing the congregation , which when reading the Epistle they are not ] but it stops this bad habit of looking down at the printed material all the time - do that and your voice sinks. I still prepare stuff to be read in church in a larger type size as you don't need to look down at it and this keeps your head a bit higher so your voice comes out horizontally rather than down aimed at your feet [ if you see what I mean ]

Yes, I know about direction, at least. Our music stands are high in the choir, but I've memorized the Liturgy so I don't have to look down at all. Our microphones are strung overhead.

I do have a problem projecting my voice, and it's high pitched. Something recently "fell into place" while singing (I have no idea how else to describe it) but my voice projects better but is also a bit lower, so I had to watch the tones I was producing. I'm not sure I have it all together though.

I can get a mic for reading though.

I like the idea of something larger printed. I wear glasses, so I might do just that. Reading tiny print would throw a whole new monkey wrench into things.
 
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Anhelyna

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I've never had a mic :)

I did it the hard way from being a youngster :)

I was stunned after taking the Epistle one day in the UGCC Cathedral in London to be told, after Liturgy, that I had been heard easily by the priests in the Altar - seems that often didn't happen :) they were tired of folk who mumbled into the Apostle :)

My GodPapa was pleased :)
 
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~Anastasia~

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I've never had a mic :)

I did it the hard way from being a youngster :)

I was stunned after taking the Epistle one day in the UGCC Cathedral in London to be told, after Liturgy, that I had been heard easily by the priests in the Altar - seems that often didn't happen :) they were tired of folk who mumbled into the Apostle :)

My GodPapa was pleased :)
I think our building is too large for me to even hope to be heard everywhere without a mic.

We have one man who can - our choir director, and he mentioned to me that he was trained in public speaking and to project his voice (I asked).

Father can do a pretty good job himself, but still falls just a bit short when we lose the mic.

I am quite sure I can't come close to matching that.

But I am impressed you could do it in a cathedral. :)
 
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Jesus4Madrid

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The big tip: read slower than you think you need to.
Good tip. Please remind me next Easter. I do chant the reading, but do so very fast, probably because of nerves or exhaustion. I need to sloooooow it dooown.
 
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~Anastasia~

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Female readers!? Oh boy....^_^:sorry::sorry:
Uh huh. What happens when the men are getting too old or go out of town? Do you want to grace us with your presence for 7 weeks and do it? ;) :p
 
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How long is the drive? I'm on my way! Woman reader? IS OUTRAGE!

Uh huh. What happens when the men are getting too old or go out of town? Do you want to grace us with your presence for 7 weeks and do it? ;) :p
 
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Help finding the readings for the Gregorian calendar in an Eastern Catholic parish, yes! LOL. That parish and that bunch have nothing available and they're totally in la-la-land!

I'm not "ordained" either. I wish to the Lord I was. Frankly, we have one Reader. He is in his late 60's, usually doped up on medical marijuana, and rarely even shows up (not kidding). He's clueless about what's going on. I usually am tapped to do HIS readings!? And yet he is tonsured, and I'm not. Hey, I've found that Orthodoxy, like any other institution, is loaded with the "good ole boy" mentality. It's who you know and how long you've been buds with the higher-ups. Honestly, I don't know a circumstance where our priest would have someone become a tonsured Reader? He's tonsured two folks for it since I was there, both were tonsured so they could start as Readers and move up to the diaconate or priesthood....I think Father is content to just keep up lower case "r" readers....That's fine.

Sometimes there is no option BUT I was never ordained as a Reader , I just did the job to the best of my ability - and I seem to remember giving you a bit of help at one point :p
 
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About two months back, Father had "Tone 5" on the bulletin. Then the next week it was Tone 1, but he didn't delete the 5, so it said, "Tone 15." I was reader that day. Afterward, on the dismissal veneration, I told him, "I hope I met your expectations with tone 15!" He doesn't miss a beat, New Yorker that he is, "Well, Joseph, sorry for the misprint. It was supposed to be Tone 16. But you did just fine anyway." LOL

May be outrage - but do you want to listen to a man trying to chant in Bulgarian Tone 9 for a few weeks ?
 
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~Anastasia~

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How long is the drive? I'm on my way! Woman reader? IS OUTRAGE!
How long is the drive from you? With rest stops - about three days I think. ;) We could be a little further apart, but not much.

Still, love to see you! C'mon down! :D I have air mattresses and can make a spare room lol.
 
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~Anastasia~

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I don't think we have any tonsured reader. It's really not a big deal in our parish. I remember a catechumen was once drafted.

We don't have a deacon either but we finally have a sub-Deacon. Father has been holding down most of the fort with an altar boy or two and chanters sometimes there for a long time. Starting to grow a bit in some ranks though. Recently we had seven altar boys for one service. :)
 
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ArmyMatt

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Help finding the readings for the Gregorian calendar in an Eastern Catholic parish, yes! LOL. That parish and that bunch have nothing available and they're totally in la-la-land!

I'm not "ordained" either. I wish to the Lord I was. Frankly, we have one Reader. He is in his late 60's, usually doped up on medical marijuana, and rarely even shows up (not kidding). He's clueless about what's going on. I usually am tapped to do HIS readings!? And yet he is tonsured, and I'm not. Hey, I've found that Orthodoxy, like any other institution, is loaded with the "good ole boy" mentality. It's who you know and how long you've been buds with the higher-ups. Honestly, I don't know a circumstance where our priest would have someone become a tonsured Reader? He's tonsured two folks for it since I was there, both were tonsured so they could start as Readers and move up to the diaconate or priesthood....I think Father is content to just keep up lower case "r" readers....That's fine.

have you told Father about an interest in becoming a tonsured reader? usually you gotta plan around when the bishop visits your parish.
 
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I’d love to, but I’m afraid it would come off as arrogant or ambitious or pushy. I figured the desire to tonsure a parishioner had to come from the priest, not the parishioners?? I don’t know...I’m honestly scared to! Lol

have you told Father about an interest in becoming a tonsured reader? usually you gotta plan around when the bishop visits your parish.
 
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ArmyMatt

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I’d love to, but I’m afraid it would come off as arrogant or ambitious or pushy. I figured the desire to tonsure a parishioner had to come from the priest, not the parishioners?? I don’t know...I’m honestly scared to! Lol

it's not pushy. just let him know you feel this is a calling. since you are married too, maybe seriously pray about being a subdeacon.
 
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Holy moly! I don't have even close to the guts to ask about the Reader thing! Subdeacon!? I'd have to drink a whole flask of whisky to get up that courage! And I don't even drink! ^_^

it's not pushy. just let him know you feel this is a calling. since you are married too, maybe seriously pray about being a subdeacon.
 
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Holy moly! I don't have even close to the guts to ask about the Reader thing! Subdeacon!? I'd have to drink a whole flask of whisky to get up that courage! And I don't even drink! ^_^

haha, a subdeacon is simply an in charge altar server who vests the bishop. but in all seriousness, if you do feel the call to be a tonsured reader, I would let Father know.
 
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