Everything has to start from the Synod. As long as the trend continues to be "dumb down the service and they will come", the actual outcome will be the opposite.
1. Replace the so-called "Black Book" of Holy Week. Use something that offers the complete Holy Week as it is in the Triodion. Bring back Holy Thursday Orthros and move the Unction to the afternoon where it belongs. Some parishes in the US follow this practice. Many don't. Some even repeat the Unction twice on the same day. There is a conceptual matter of canonicity in this, even though nothing specifically prohibits it. However, to arbitrarily excise a prescribed service for the sake of a sacrament calls into question the knowledge and the judgment of the hierarch(s) who allow this.
Some people cling to Pappadeas as if it were sacrosanct. The Narthex Press Holy Week book is readily available, with all of its abbreviations, mistakes, and desire to be politically sensitive and anti-semitic in its translation (so it's okay to have so-called anti-semitism in Greek??) If HTM's situation improves, their work is of incredibly high quality. I hope they produce something - though personally not fond of the Elizabethan English - soon. Then we have Fr. Lash - and I know really one person producing any of his scores in English (the Protopsalti of the SF Metropolis). Of course, these books were originally created to be read from assuming chanters would only ever chant in Greek. As such the quality and the ability for the text to be chanted from has suffered. Fr. Seraphim's Holy Week music is excellent - and I commend the inclusion of long Kathismata and arga katavasies at the conclusion of each ode.
Actually we do the Holy Thursday Orthros in our parish and distribute unction in the end for those who weren't able to attend the afternoon service (but only have the actual unction service in the afternoon). For some people they treat unction as their time of the year to go to Church, and people ask about taking home unction on a cotton swab, even though year after year the priest says that it can only be administered by a priest.
2. Bring back the proper practices in the Liturgy. Makarismoi instead of the antiphons for example.
Right - and as 'famous' as the Beatitudes are you'd otherwise only hear them at 9th hour if you attend it before Presanctified Liturgy, or Holy Thursday night.
3. Bring back a more complete Orthros with at least Ode 1 and 3 of the Canon and mid-Ode Kathismata. I am dismayed that in his handouts, Fr. Dedes has not included, or at least tried to start, a drive to include the Canons.
Yes.
4. Put the processions where they belong in the service.
Thumbs up.
5. Full Canon on Pascha. Most parishes even omit the katavasiae!
The father and uncle of a man who chants with us visited from Greece a few years ago (who I believe both chant in parishes) and we did the whole canon. I see no reason for any ommission at this service. It's the feast of feasts.
I could go on, but everyone knows all this and more....
NG.