Some random thoughts on choirs versus cantors leading responses for liturgies on a Friday night.

When I hear the babas singing Saturday night at Uniontown it literally brings me to tears of joy. Though the voices aren't pure and trained, the harmonies are direct from the heart. If a fraction of that 'duch' (spirit) were present in every Sunday liturgy celebrated in the whole Metropolia It would be wonderful.

When we celebrate vespers I am happy to hear ALL the voices, especially during the chanting of the psalms.

In OCA churches, where choirs sing everything for every service, I notice that the congregation does not sing at all. If the choir were caught up in a rapture the church would be left silent!

Choirs are great for major feast days like Pascha and Christmas and other important occaisions, I find the full congregational participation through prostopinije to be the most uplifting.

I have books of SATB choir arrangements for the Divine Liturgy, for Byzantine Catholic and Orthodox (OCA, ACROD). Some of the arrangements lend themselves well to congregational 'plain chant' singing if led by a reasonably competent cantor. (I have recorded some instances in my travels).

Two years ago, I was in Scranton, PA. I wish I had known then what I know now as to who the cantors were at various parishes. I would have emailed ahead of time to introduce myself to various Phil Yevics. I always extend an invitation to visiting cantors to join me in the choir loft on Sundays (or any other day I am at church).

Oh well, enough rambling for me for one night...


Steve Petach

There is a wonderful OCA parish in St. Paul - Holy Trinity. The church was renovated a few years back and most of the pews were removed. While they have an existing choir loft, the choir is RIGHT UP FRONT in the MIDST OF THE CONGREGATION. Not only is it a profoundly beautiful experience, everybody sings including all the babas in sharps and flats.

There is no sense of "performance", rather the choir is genuinely leading and supporting the congregation. To my mind, this is a model to be emulated (including the elimination of those bloody pews... ;-)

Many years!

Gordo, Cantor

Steve - your generalization is not true nationwide. One of our local OCA parishes sings nearly everything congregationally in natural four part harmony, akin to Greek Catholics. While that may not be the rule, congregational singing does certainly exist within the OCA, as Gordo's example also illustrates.

The OCA has some wonderful 4-part harmony stuff in PDF available that is not difficult. The genius of Mark Bailey in his congregational settings is incredible, not only in quality but in the diversity of Byzantine chant traditions he draws from. Many years to him and the efforts of the OCA in this regard. It is definitely a model to be emulated.

Dang, I wish I could find an OCA parish like that around where I live.

Everywhere I go, the congregation is mute, the selections the choirs sing are not easy to master down in the nave without the charts, practice and direction.

When the choir is putting it's heart and soul into a masterpiece like the Our Father by Kedroff off-key granny and uncle Morris in the back of the nave are not going to raise their own voices and "spoil" it! They are too self-conscious and humble for that. For me, it's totally frustrating, I don't have the time to commit to a choir but I feel I cannot worship properly with my mouth shut.

Plainchant is the way to go, as far as I'm concerned.

+T+
Michael

Michael - for a smaller parish plainchant is certainly a good way to go and work up to other chant from there, samohlasny, podobny, variable melodies, etc.

Using someone's work who has been there, done that in setting plainchant and various other basic tones, melodies, etc. to harmony is definitely valuable in teaching others how to do it.

Perhaps I was being too general. I have only two OCA parishes local to me for my reference observation. I stand, corrected.

Steve

Steve - I would definitely say that what you describe is not uncommon. Luckily there are those (like Mark Bailey) tirelessly working on getting congregational-friendly music settings out there.

Steve, the Phoenix OCA parish is similar to the ones you have visited in California- dependent on its choir, especially its choir director, for the laity portion of the services.

Congregational unison singing is not viewed there as traditional by most of their parishioners. The choir is expected to support them. The congregation does not make it its business to be totally familiar with the service's flow, so when they try unison singing without the choir director for a series of services, the services flounder. (Or is that founder? ) (Of course, we might be in the same boat without cantors.)

We are often in the same boat without cantors without a doubt. I have visited both BCC and UGCC parishes that were seemingly disoriented and unable to initiate much, if any, liturgical responses on their own without the cantor.