Let Us Lift Up Our Hearts!
Our parish is blessed with excellent chanters and a choir director. In addition, many of the faithful have beautiful voices. We encourage congregational singing, especially during the Divine Liturgy.

Chanting is a ministry to the brethren. Participating at this level is an honor, a blessing, and a privilege. But along with that comes increased obligation and responsibility. The Holy Scriptures, our sacred hymnography, and the prayers of the Church must be chanted and/or read with reverence and dignity, in a spirit of humility. To become proficient requires practice.

The atmosphere of prayer and worship is greatly influenced by how effectively the ministry is fulfilled. Therefore, more is expected of anyone at the Chanter's Stand.

  • Participation in the ministry of chanting assumes that you're liturgically and sacramentally active, and that you're involved in the community life of the parish.
  • You're required to become familiar with the general structure of the different services.
  • Dedicate yourself to becoming knowledgeable about the eight Byzantine Tones. Eventually, you will have to start any chant on demand.
  • Each person chanting must receive a blessing from the priest before approaching the Chanter's Stand for the daily services.

The general principles of Church Etiquette apply to anyone serving in any official capacity, including that of the Chanter.

No one is allowed to approach the chanter's stand without permission from the priest. If you want to learn how to chant, start with this:

  • Sit down and talk with the Header Chanter. Then, talk with the Choir Director.
  • They will assess your level of ability, and start you out slowly (probably with the Ison).
  • They will also give you direction regarding the chanting resources you should use.
  • After that, come to the priest and ask for a blessing.