RichardRBarrett
Μέλος
Friends -- I hope this third week of Great Lent finds everybody well.
I wanted to bring to everybody's attention a current effort to benefit two current Holy Cross students who are candidates for the Byzantine chant certificate this year, Aaron Gilbert and Andrew Otto. Aaron has sung in the Archdiocesan Byzantine Choir, and is also the brother of Fr. Chrysostomos Gilbert.
Both Aaron and Andrew are accomplished, worthy cantors who deserve a chance to take the exam; unfortunately, both being at the very end of their respective M.Div. programs (and Aaron also being newly married), they are not in a financial position to take on the burden of the $1,500 exam fee, and the program is still new enough that there is not yet an established scholarship fund.
Some of us who passed the exam last year and who were privileged to be able to offset the cost through other means, want to give something back to Byzantine music program at Holy Cross, help our brother psaltes, and perhaps lay groundwork for future certificate exam scholarships. To that end, we have launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Aaron and Andrew, while also making an initial gift towards a scholarship fund for certificate candidates at Holy Cross with whatever is left over. You can give to this campaign online here: https://www.gofundme.com/prvdl4
The availability of the certificate in the United States is an important development for the psaltic art here, and we need to make sure that we are supporting cantors who are putting in the time to learn properly and become qualified. If the school is not itself in a position yet to support otherwise-motivated students, then it is up to us who have benefited from the opportunity to help make it available. Please prayerfully consider making a gift to Aaron and Andrew, and to help get the word out to others who might be in a position to help.
Many thanks for your time and consideration; kali Sarakosti kai kali Anastasi!
I wanted to bring to everybody's attention a current effort to benefit two current Holy Cross students who are candidates for the Byzantine chant certificate this year, Aaron Gilbert and Andrew Otto. Aaron has sung in the Archdiocesan Byzantine Choir, and is also the brother of Fr. Chrysostomos Gilbert.
Both Aaron and Andrew are accomplished, worthy cantors who deserve a chance to take the exam; unfortunately, both being at the very end of their respective M.Div. programs (and Aaron also being newly married), they are not in a financial position to take on the burden of the $1,500 exam fee, and the program is still new enough that there is not yet an established scholarship fund.
Some of us who passed the exam last year and who were privileged to be able to offset the cost through other means, want to give something back to Byzantine music program at Holy Cross, help our brother psaltes, and perhaps lay groundwork for future certificate exam scholarships. To that end, we have launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Aaron and Andrew, while also making an initial gift towards a scholarship fund for certificate candidates at Holy Cross with whatever is left over. You can give to this campaign online here: https://www.gofundme.com/prvdl4
The availability of the certificate in the United States is an important development for the psaltic art here, and we need to make sure that we are supporting cantors who are putting in the time to learn properly and become qualified. If the school is not itself in a position yet to support otherwise-motivated students, then it is up to us who have benefited from the opportunity to help make it available. Please prayerfully consider making a gift to Aaron and Andrew, and to help get the word out to others who might be in a position to help.
Many thanks for your time and consideration; kali Sarakosti kai kali Anastasi!