www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Holy Ghost Radio Apostlelate liturgy...

Boy, the revised liturgy is really affecting congregational singing At Holy Ghost in Mckees Rock, PA.

Before it was the whole congregation singing, now it's pretty much just the cantor and cantor's helper. Very sad, indeed!

Ungcsertez (listen, you can hear +Vladyka John Bilock rolling over in his grave)

Ung-
Is there any way to link this so that we may listen for ourselves?
Thanks,
Sam

I don't think WEDO 810-AM has has webcasting yet.

Ungcsertezs

Maybe if you wrote the Station Manager, John James, and ask him about have the DL broadcast over the web.

Ungcsertezs

Uh- I would guess you are right.

We could always give it a shot. I'll email him.
Sam

Why is anyone surprised?

Everywhere they use the new music the people stop singing.

St. John's Cathedral has been the experimental parish for the new music. Now no one sings except the cantor and someone else upstairs.

We've had parts of the new liturgy for 4, maybe even 5 years. And still no one can sing the new music.

If the people at the cathedral can't sing it after all these years what made the bishops thing anyone else would ever sing it?

The Cathedral used to sing really good. Especially when Metropolitan Judson was just a priest.

It was so bad we now go to St. Elias. They sing at St. Elias.

When they are forced to take the new liturgy we will probably to to St. Nicholas in Homestead.

If you don't believe how bad the singing at the cathedral has gotten go visit any Sunday morning.

You will leave crying at what they have done with our liturgy.

But we won't be there. We will be at St. Elias.

Thank you Archbishop Schott for wasting $ 1 million of our money.

I feel bad for the people at Holy Ghost.

I wish I could tell you it will get better.

The people at the cathedral know from experience that it will not get better.

Thank you Archbishop Schott for wasting $ 1 million of our money.

I must admit I am confused. We are gradually introducing the new music at our parish and our people are finding it easier to sing -- perhaps like most things in life, you find what you are looking for.

I remember a wonderful story told by Archimandrite Cleopa of Romania. He told the story of bees and flies who enter a room full of trash with a few beautiful roses in the corner. The flies only notice the trash, but the bees only notice the roses. If you could "interview" the insects after they left the room, they would give very different descriptions. Why? Elder Cleopa answered: "Because they are looking for different things. The flies look for and find the trash, but the bees look and find the flowers."

Then he asked: "What kind of a person are you -- a fly or a bee?"

It seems like a good question to ask now.

I agree with Fr PrJ.

We started singing some of the new settings this weekend, and as a cantor under-study, I felt that it also was easier to sing. Cherubikon setting "D" was what we did this weekend and it "flowed" much better than the old one.

A lot of us left our church one day full of "flowers" only to come back the next day to find the flowers had been replaced by "trash". It is a matter of belief.

Ungcsertezs

I haven't been to church yet since the new pew books were brought in a few weeks ago, but from what I hear, congregational singing has stopped except for the "amen" and "and with/to your spirit." The choir is frustrated in attempts to sing as well, and the choir director is scrambling trying to update the choral music we use to "fit" the new wording. All in all, we ain't long for this world. Can't wait for Holy Week, at least the old music will be back since there are no revisions in those services and we'll use the Levkulic Holy Week books.

There is always the neighboring OCA or ACROD church option, as we will all be celebrating Pascha together this year.

Ungcsertezs

Ung--I was being serious when I said that I can't wait for Holy Week as the old music will be back. The nearest ACROD church is over an hour away and the OCA right down the street is not all that welcoming to us, I'm not comfortable there. The Ukranian Orthodox and Catholics both serve in Ukranian.

John K

John K, if the OCA seems unwelcoming go a few times and they may open up to you. Or say hi first, if you have tried the above I don't know what to tell you.

John K

Do they have an issue with your affiliation, or are they just not real friendly to outsiders?

I must clarify my original post.

I was a little confused of what I heard during this Sunday's broadcast. While the priest responses were the new revised liturgy, they cantor actually used many Slavonic settings, and a combined Levkulic/Admin.John Vernoski settings. The congregation didn't have the extra handouts for the St. Greorgy Palamas tropar and kondak. Also, the "In You O Women" for St. Basil liturgy used the traditional Glory/Praise be to you (x3)ending. The new music for the revised liturgy truncates the ending to simply one "glory to you".

I apologize to everyone, especially the good parishioners at Holy Ghost for my misunderstanding.

Ungcsertezs