The choir of St. Basil the Great Orthodox Church.
Choir
Sing praises to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
His praise in the assembly of His holy ones.
Ps. 29: 5; Ps. 149: 1
The Orthodox Church’s liturgical music has the ability to raise the spirits of worshippers and singers alike as we offer up songs of praise, petition, thanksgiving and love. Visitors attending an Orthodox church for the first time might notice that there are no musical instruments. We believe that there’s one thing no instrument can do as well as a human being: understand what is being said and enter in with a heart of worship.
The St. Basil’s choir has produced an album – “Hymns in Eight Tones” – that is available in our bookstore.
We encourage congregational participation in all choir music and hope that our brothers and sisters in Christ will join us in song. If you would like to receive copies of the music of the Divine Liturgy in advance, contact Grace Brooks.
Choir Director: Grace Brooks
Assistant Choir Director: Dave Lorbecki
Chanting
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will chant to my God for as long as I have my being.
May my words be sweet to Him,
And I will rejoice in the Lord.
Ps. 103: 33-34
Orthodox liturgical music includes sacred verse that is chanted by one chanter or a group of chanters, in a tradition that dates back to the first centuries of the Christian Church. Chanted hymnody imparts the text in a simple but meaningful way, allowing listeners to listen with their ears, their hearts and their minds. In the evening Vespers service and morning Orthros services especially, as well as on feast day services, chanters carry teachings and theology in song. This is often sung antiphonally (literally, ‘voice against voice’), as a dialogue between chanters or between a chanter and clergy.
We chant in the Byzantine tradition, in a repeating eight-week cycle of modes or tones. Additional harmony takes the form of a grounding note sung continuously, called an ison.
Chanters: Dave Lorbecki, Rick Kelso, Grace Brooks