Reply To: Week 6 – Ideal Orthros
In an ideal Orthros I would love to have two full choirs. Each choir having a protopsalties/lampadarios, a domestikos, at least 3 Isokrati, and at least 5 psalti. I think that Orthros or any service can be experienced in its full beauty when two full choirs are present.
-To prevent the “round robin syndrome” of Poetic kathismata, Anavathmi, etc. It would be nice, given the factor of having only one choir, to at least have a few people sing as a group that alternate with a separate small group to preserve the right and left choir rubrics.
-It would be preferable to have at least two priest and a deacon so as to smoothly be able to complete all the parts in a timely manner.
-I agree with Katie about the “no competition/no tension” while, thank God, we do not currently have the issue at our church, I have chanted many times with others in which this was the sad case. I believe that if, as chanters, we are leading the people in worship, we too need to be worshiping. If we are harboring anger against our brother then, I know at least speaking for myself, that worshiping the Lord in fullness is impossible.
-I agree that at least chanting a few odes of the canon would be a drastic improvement. With the hopes of building up to a full canon.
-If we could know that every chanter that presents themselves at the Analogion was completely prepared for every part of every service for the day it would make it a lot easier for the other psalti and it would provide a better musical quality.
-It would also be a true blessing if every person in the congregation knew of the great gift and treasure of theological wealth that is prayed in Orthros, to the point where they desired to make the extra effort to come at the beginning with no time limitations on the end.
-I haven’t really touched on many rubric “ideals” but the points listed above would open the doors and make it possible for every fine point of the Holy Typikon to be executed.