The Archdiocese of America and The Great Paraklesis

[greek487]

It really is a pleasure to see that The Archdiocese of America is using social media more and more in order to communicate the teachings and practices of the Church.

Among the many interesting and educational materials presented, the following Facebook post from the Archdiocese surprised me:

From August 1 ...

The service of the Small Paraklesis is chanted in times of distress and sorrow of soul and during the first fourteen days of August.

Listen to the service of the Small Paraklesis (in Greek):http://www.goarch.org/multimedia/audio/listen-paraklesis/paraklesis

Since August 1st marks the beginning of the Dormition period and since the Great Paraklesis service was entirely omitted, I considered it important to clarify the above post by stating,

Your post incorrectly states, "The service of the Small Paraklesis is chanted in times of distress and sorrow of soul AND DURING THE FIRST FOURTEEN DAYS OF AUGUST." On the contrary, every night we alternate between the Small Paraklesis and the Great Paraklesis. Please check the Typikon of the Church and correct your post because it is misinforming the faithful. See the following video to fully appreciate the beauty and importance of the Great Paraklesis.

And then I posted a YouTube video with the entire Great Paraklesis for those who might not be familiar with this most beautiful service. I was hoping for a clarification by the Archdiocese (at the very least on subsequent postings), but on August 12, they posted,

The service of the Small Paraklesis is chanted in times of distress and sorrow of soul and during the first fourteen days of August.

Follow along during the service of the Small Paraklesis by visiting:http://www.goarch.org/chapel/liturgical_texts/paraklesis

Listen to the service of the Small Paraklesis (in Greek):http://www.goarch.org/multimedia/audio/listen-paraklesis/paraklesis

There were other responses on the Aug 1st post which brought up the Great Paraklesis as well, but it seems as though we want to completely sidestep the Great Paraklesis and focus only on the Small Paraklesis.

What do you think? Again, I am very grateful for the Archdiocese's social media outreach. It's just that I've never seen an official media outlet of the Greek Orthodox Church completely neglect the service of the Great Paraklesis in such a manner. Do the clergy, chanters, and faithful have a responsibility to point out the importance of the Great Paraklesis? Or would that simply be making a mountain out of a molehill?

Kali Panagia!

 

[romanos4]

We are an exarchate of the Patriarchate and follow their typikon.

I agree, this service shouldn't be sidestepped - especially that it is only chanted ever during this period and requires clergy (as compared to the small paraklesis which may be done as a readers service).

My parish was privileged to have chanting with us both Metropolitan Gerasimos and Metropolitan Nikitas this past Sunday evening for Great Paraklesis - during the short homily, Met. Nikitas stated that we have become "a Sunday only church" and have become "disconnected from the rhythm of the services".

I couldn't agree more - his words ring all too true. If Orthodoxy is to really transform lives, then we can't just compartmentalize our life in Christ to Sunday mornings if it's truly to be a LIFE in Christ.

My sense is that as chanters, we all enjoy being able to participate in the execution of these services and thus wouldn't consider ourselves such if our practices didn't extend to all services.

All this to say, yes, this was an omission that I hope was an oversight and not intentional but if it were intentional then I see it as a symptom of a larger issue, namely that we aren't emphasizing the extent and breadth of what is possible for our liturgical lives.

Part of me can see this as making a large deal out of nothing - another part of me sees just more more marginalization.

I'm grateful that my parish has had services each night from Aug 1st, including liturgy on Transfiguration and will continue with the final Small Paraklesis tonight, then Vespers and Orthros/Liturgy on the 15th.

R.

 

[apostolos]

It always amazes me to hear the excuses that the priests of our Holy Archdiocese and Metropolises give as to why they do NOT chant the Great Paraklisis. Excuses range from, "It's too long," to "The people don't know how to chant it," to "I (i.e. the priest) do not know how to chant it."

First and foremost, the Paraklisis, according to tradition, is NOT chanted by the priest. It is solely the responsibility of the chanters to chant the canon of both the Small and Great Paraklisis services.

Second, it is actually NOT a "long" service. The Great Orologion mistakenly puts the two hymns "Diasoson" and "Epivlepson" AFTER EACH ODE of the canon, when in reality these are chanted ONLY after the 3rd Ode, and "Diasoson" and "Axrante" after the 6th Ode, just like in the Small Paraklisis.

As for the people or the priest not knowing it, those excuses are also lame. Again, the priest doesn't have to know it, as long as the chanters do. But regardless, the mode used is the same as that for the Small Paraklisis. It's a matter of familiarizing oneself with these hymns. If the people can hear it two or three times, they'll learn it just as well as the Small Paraklisis.

Get a good recording from YouTube, listen to it, study it, and do it. For God's sakes, the Great Paraklisis is only chanted during one 15-day window of the calendar year!! SURELY it can be learned! Unfortunately, our Seminary in Brookline teaches the Small Paraklisis to the students, they chant it during August, and that's all they know. Hopefully, with the new Professor of Byzantine Music at the School, this may change.

Apostolos

 

[Nikolaos Giannoukakis]

The phenomenon is not peculiar to the US. In many jurisdictions in Greece, even in Athens, this is a growing trend.

In the end it reflects the low level of spirituality of every member of a given parish, from the parishioners to the clergy. It reflects the low level of spirituality of society in general and the competition among many aspects of life for the attention and commitment to religious expression by a given individual be they a parishioner, a clergyperson or an entire Synod.

In my experience, a discussion with the parish priest often reverses the trend and a frank exchange with a hierarch can result in an encyclical.

Kali Panaghia to all.

NG

 

[herron.samuel]

If any chanters need bi-lingual service books for the Great Paraklesis for next year, contact me, I made some for my parish this year that can be printed in booklet form from .pdf on regular paper.

My parish priest put it well recently. He was speaking about our parish in particular, but I think it can and does apply to our Archdiocese: "We are not a people of worship." I think this is true, and the best way to reverse this is hard work and Psaltic education on our parts. The more chanters, the more enthusiasm for worship (there is a reason the Typikon was written by a psaltis) and the more the faithful will come when the hymns are chanted properly.

 

[saltypsalti]

If any chanters need bi-lingual service books for the Great Paraklesis for next year, contact me, I made some for my parish this year that can be printed in booklet form from .pdf on regular paper.

My parish priest put it well recently. He was speaking about our parish in particular, but I think it can and does apply to our Archdiocese: "We are not a people of worship." I think this is true, and the best way to reverse this is hard work and Psaltic education on our parts. The more chanters, the more enthusiasm for worship (there is a reason the Typikon was written by a psaltis) and the more the faithful will come when the hymns are chanted properly.

Would you mind sending me a copy to protopsalti@me.com? Thanks.

JPP

 

[basil]

It always amazes me to hear the excuses that the priests of our Holy Archdiocese and Metropolises give as to why they do NOT chant the Great Paraklisis. Excuses range from, "It's too long," to "The people don't know how to chant it," to "I (i.e. the priest) do not know how to chant it."

Another excuse I've heard from priests about why they don't perform some of the Divine Services is that "few people will attend." But if a mere two or three are gathered in His Name, is Christ not there in the midst of them (cf. Matthew 18:20)? And if even a single parishioner seeks out the "doors of repentance" (cf. «Της μετανοίας») only to find the physical doors of the church closed, could not his spiritual growth be possibly stunted? Such thinking abdicates responsibility for the souls of the people who might attend such services.

I have some thoughts as to the reasons why priests give these excuses, but I won't give them in public. May the Panagia intercede in our behalf, and may we be guided to grow closer to her Son through the vehicles of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

 

[GabrielCremeens]

Get a good recording from YouTube, listen to it, study it, and do it. For God's sakes, the Great Paraklisis is only chanted during one 15-day window of the calendar year!! SURELY it can be learned! Unfortunately, our Seminary in Brookline teaches the Small Paraklisis to the students, they chant it during August, and that's all they know. Hopefully, with the new Professor of Byzantine Music at the School, this may change.

I realize that we have now passed August 15th (on both the Old and New Calendars - I was on Mt. Athos, and so celebrated it "Old-Style"), but, for the sake of clarification, neither the Great Paraklesis NOR the Small Paraklesis are "taught" at HCHC - there is no "class" or "setting" in which we study either service; we simply pick it up by ear - or, some of us who were in charge of leading chanting groups at the school put the time in to learn them both well.

This is not to say that the students of HCHC know both services well. I think just about every student at HCHC could chant the Small Paraklesis, but very few could chant the Great. Why? It is not for omission - the Great Paraklesis is chanted during the first 15 days of August, alternating with the Small. (If there is someone at the Psaltiri who knows the Great:wink I can give you several reasons:

1) The vast majority of the student body is NOT PRESENT at HCHC during the month of August. The only students there are the ones who are taking the Kallinikeion Intensive Greek Language course offered during that month. So, for most of them, there is no opportunity, while at HCHC, to hear the Great Paraklesis on a regular basis and learn it "by ear." (Of course, that doesn't mean that they shouldn't take the time to learn it on their own; it's a beautiful service, and I prefer the Great Paraklesis to the Small, at least in terms of the music. Maybe "absence makes the heart grow fonder.") The fact that the Great Paraklesis is only chanted during the first 15 days of August (correct me if I'm wrong - it is not to be celebrated outside of the Dormition Fast, right?) when most of the student body is not there means, on a practical level, that a) while at school, hardly anyone hears it, and, b) while at school, hardly anyone needs to know it.

2) There is no well-established recording of it in either language. I would say that the reason 90% of the students at HCHC know the Small Paraklesis is because of the recording by Eikona - this is evident from the fact that, when I heard the Small Paraklesis chanted in the chapel, the interpretation, melody, etc, was mostly lifted from that recording - whether that was done consciously or unconsciously depended on the person chanting, but I would say it was mostly unconscious. Quite simply, if the faithful of the GOA own one CD of "Byzantine Chant" in English, it is probably the recording of the Small Paraklesis by Eikona. It is unbelievably ubiquitous.

Simply-put: the Small Paraklesis is not better-known among the HCHC student body because it is "taught" and the Great Paraklesis isn't.

-Gabriel

 

[Nikolaos Giannoukakis]

Dear Gabriel,

This is the lamest excuse I've ever read and seen. "It's not taught, therefore, we don't know it".

If one can read the typikon, a serious seminarian just out of curiosity (assuming he believes that the typikon is to be followed, and that he does not intend to revise the services for the sake of....modernity) would pick up the eirmologion and go through the great paraclesis. Futhermore, the rubrics of the great paraclesis are pretty much identical to the small, with the exception of the gospel reading and the canon. Is it so impossible for some seminarian to compare the two services and educate his flock about them?

It has nothing to do with "being taught" and everything to do about one's sensitivity to accepting, living and offering Christianity and faith/respect of traditions and a dedication to God and the people. If one enters the seminary with the objecitve of finding a "job" and a "career" then they had better think thousands of times and get out before they hurt their future flock. Being a clergyperson is to accept sacrifice knowing that the "kenosis" one offers to the people and to God is a vehicle for their salvation, and all this in meekness, service, dedication, HONESTY, tradition, and genuine love. There is no room for complacency or laziness "because the church is empty". This is the philosophy of a respectable number of seminarian graduates that has derailed the GOA. Perhaps a generation ago, it was eas(ier) to fool the people. Today's world is much more learned and intelligent and they do not accept lip service or lies. They can spot liars a mile away. If the seminarians do not faithfully accept the traditions that they get in the priesthood for and that they eventually claim to represent, within a decade, the "jobs" some seminarians seek simply won't exist, because the people are tired of the lies and the complacency. The money spigot will stop and the edifices will close.....anyway, this is a subject for another board and another discussion.

I've seen silly arguments, but this, education-based one is really lame!

NG

 

[GabrielCremeens]

Hi Nick,

I hope you're well, and I send you my warmest well-wishes for the beginning of the New Ecclesiastical year. I fully agree with what you have written in your post.

Furthermore, I apologize, because it seems my post may been taken a little differently than I intended. I was not attempting to offer an "excuse" or justification for not knowing the Great Paraklesis (I do know it). Quite simply, my post was intended to be a corrective and a clarification of some of the ideas written by Mr. Combitsis.

Mr. Combitsis commented that "our Seminary in Brookline teaches the Small Paraklisis to the students, they chant it during August, and that's all they know." His comment contains three statements:

1)

Our Seminary in Brookline teaches the Small Paraklisis to the students.

This, as I already wrote in my post, is factually incorrect. Neither the Small Paraklesis nor the Great Paraklesis are "taught" at the seminary.

2)

they chant it during August.

This is only partially correct. It is, indeed, chanted during the first 15 days of August, in alternation with the Great. However, the current practice of the seminary, during the four years that I was there (I do not know where this originated) has been to chant the Small Paraklesis on Friday nights, with the exception of the Fridays of Great Lent, or if we will be celebrating Orthros and Divine Liturgy the next morning, due to it being a major feast day or a celebrated Saint. So, this statement is only partially correct, in that the seminary does not chant the Small Paraklesis only during the first 15 days of August, but on most Fridays throughout the school year.

3)

and that's all they know

This, I'm afraid to say, is mostly true, and it is a problem. The statement is not without its exceptions though, (as I mentioned, I know the Great Paraklesis and am comfortable with it, as are some of the other students who are responsible for leading the chanting).

My post was intended to offer insight and observation into "why" I believe Mr. Combitsis' third statement is mostly true by describing the current state of affairs at HCHC (and the GOA in general) vis-a-vis the Great Paraklesis service. My post is not an attempt to offer excuses as to why the students don't need to know it, or why it shouldn't be chanted in parishes during the Dormition Fast, etc, etc, etc. My post is simply a description of current affairs, the way they appear to me.

I fully agree with you, Mr. Giannoukakis, that the Great Paraklesis should be learned by the seminarians, regardless of whether it is taught at the seminary or not. Furthermore, I fully agree that it should be chanted in parishes, in accordance with the typikon, not sacrificed because "most people don't know it." They will, of course, learn it by hearing it. And that is the responsibility of the students - to learn it, so as to offer it to others.

I hope that I will have the blessing of finding myself in a parish near you someday, so that we will be able to chant the Great Paraklesis to the Theotokos together!

In Christ,
Gabriel

 

[apostolos]

Mr. Combitsis commented that "our Seminary in Brookline teaches the Small Paraklisis to the students, they chant it during August, and that's all they know."

Tim,

I guess I made a couple of assumptions about the current state of affairs at Holy Cross. I know that in the past (the VERY past, I might add, when Savas J. Savas was the professor of Byzantine music) the students were taught the Small Paraklisis. I suppose in light of the fact that Byzantine Music carries far less weight (in credits) than it used to, and that Greek is an ELECTIVE course, shouldn't surprise me that the Small Paraklisis is NOT taught currently at HC. Nevertheless, most seminarians somehow DO KNOW how to chant it!! So, I guess my question is, HOW? If they are not taught it at HC, do they seek out a priest or chanter or even recordings on their own to learn it?

And herein lies my dilemma: if they can learn the SMALL Paraklisis on their own, why not the GREAT Paraklisis?

Thanks for your clarifications. And by the way, if anyone is interested in learning the canon of the Great Paraklisis, there are several YouTube recordings (e.g. Vasilikos, Stanitsas) that I know of.

Apostolos

 

[greek487]

2) There is no well-established recording of it in either language.

The highest-quality choral presentation of the Great Paraklesis in Greek I know of is the one below. The legendary priest/chanter Fr. Christos Kyriakopoulos participates as well! And, as always, The Greek Byzantine Choir only uses the classical byzantine melodies. It is my go-to recording for the Great Paraklesis.

Feel free to share it with anyone interested in this beautiful service Gabriel, because, like you, I am partial to the Great Paraklesis, especially since the Small Paraklesis has suffered such musical injury.

 

[GabrielCremeens]

Mr. Combitsis, glad to hear from you! Before I write a couple of comments, I would like to mention that I had the pleasure of seeing your student, Nick Marinides, on Mt. Athos for the feast of St. Mary Magdalene (Old Calendar). It was a delight to see him again after several years.

I know that in the past (the VERY past, I might add, when Savas J. Savas was the professor of Byzantine music) the students were taught the Small Paraklisis.

Although I hadn't made the connection until exactly this moment, I now remember seeing a book that professor Savas wrote with the music for the Small (and also the Great) Paraklesis services, if I remember correctly. I'm happy to hear that it was taught in the past.

I suppose in light of the fact that Byzantine Music carries far less weight (in credits) than it used to, and that Greek is an ELECTIVE course, shouldn't surprise me that the Small Paraklisis is NOT taught currently at HC.

I'm unaware of how many credits Byzantine Chant carries now as opposed to more than four years ago. Unfortunately, I can tell you that the length of some of the Byzantine music courses were cut, due to an accreditation agency telling the school that the ratio of class time to credits was not satisfactory - in other words, the class carried too few credits for the amount of time the class lasted.

To the very best of my knowledge, Greek is not an elective course for seminarians of the GOA. They are required to take Beginning Greek I and II, Intermediate Greek I and II, and Advanced Greek I and II, in order to graduate as seminarians of the GOA. (I was not a seminarian, but I still took all of those courses.) This is not, of course, a requirement for seminarians of other jurisdictions, nor is a requirement for non-seminarians in general.

Nevertheless, most seminarians somehow DO KNOW how to chant it!! So, I guess my question is, HOW? If they are not taught it at HC, do they seek out a priest or chanter or even recordings on their own to learn it?

I reiterate from my first post: I believe that most of the HCHC student body (seminarians or not) has either learned the Small Paraklesis either a) from the Eikona CD, or b) from simply being at the school and hearing it chanted every Friday night (with the exception of Lent, great feasts, and celebrated saints). There is also a small chapel in the dormitory, and many students gather there to pray at nighttime. Often, if a student has a need, or if a family member is ill, etc, etc, etc, the students will chant a Small Paraklesis. So it is very common at the seminary, and oft-heard. Not so with the Great Paraklesis, unfortunately.

And herein lies my dilemma: if they can learn the SMALL Paraklisis on their own, why not the GREAT Paraklisis?

I am sure they can learn the Great Paraklesis, and I hope they do!

@ Mr. Nassis - thank you for the recording of the Great Paraklesis from the EBX. I had encountered it on one occasion, although some time has passed since then. When I said that "there is no well-established recording of [the Great Paraklesis] in either language," perhaps I should have rather said that there is no recording of the service that has achieved the ubiquity of the Eikona recording in the US. That is not to say, of course, that good recordings do not exist.There are, of course, several (Vasilikos, Stanitsas, etc). Personally, I learned it by listening to the recording from Ormylia - it's a little slow for my tastes, but I enjoy the low vasi.

What we could really use is an excellent recording of the Great Paraklesis in English, so that people can listen to it, play it in the car, use it to learn the service, etc.

-Gabriel

 

[herron.samuel]

The best recording of Great Paraklesis in English I have found is this:
http://www.amazon.com/Paraklesis-Hy...=UTF8&qid=1410117933&sr=8-1&keywords=Psaltiki

They do both Paraklesis canons in both languages; translation courtesy of HTM.

The melodies used are traditional, not the more common Eikona style melodies found in other English recordings. The recording is clear and easy to listen to, making it a good learning tool. I only wish they would post the arrangement music somewhere. The website for this project is http://www.psaltiki.org/

 

[andrew_9687]

I concur with Gabriel concerning the ubiquity of the Eikona recording – I use the HTM translation and you wouldn’t believe the flak I get from people because it’s not “like my Eikona CD”.
Papa Ephraim has a recording of the Great Paraklesis floating around. It’s not a slick production – just him and a voice recorder – but I like it and listen to it often. The album by Psaltiki that Samuel mentions is also pretty good.
-Andrew

 

[romanos4]

As one comes to appreciate the classical scores it's hard to hold things like the Eikona Paraclesis in the same regard as perhaps one once did (how about Ke flat on God is the Lord, please!)

I think we all agree that to the extent they have lent to the appreciation of this services and moves one closer to traditional Psaltic practice it's a good thing. We also need to lovingly educate people that "this isn't just all there is to it".

Similarly with Akathist...popular renderings have forced the melodies into exact replicas of the heirmos every time (cf. The Narthex Press/Takis collaboration). The most egregious example that comes to mind is the adaptation from Sakellarides in the 9th ode (Zo-ke-di-ga-vou...) vs (Ke-di-ga-vou-pa-vou-ni...) and even more so a few troparia later with (Η περιστερα...) which is classically (Ni-ni-ni-pa-vou). There are other examples (ουρανών υψηλότερα also) but by collapsing our understanding of these melodies into a quasi-fabricated framework where there's really just one choice of thesis (which happens to be the choice of a small group based in Portland, OR) removed are opportunities for the faithful to really appreciate the purposeful ways in which the scores were written.

To some extent the small Paraclesis feels reduced to a sing-along.

As far as Great Paraclesis goes, again, it's in our Typikon. Why isn't it taught? Why these irrational excuses about it? What about the majestic diatonic 7th and 8th odes? Does it not help the faithful to hear such words as "O rejoice fiery throne of the Master! O rejoice sacred manna holding vessel! O golden lampstand unextinguished torch, rejoice! Pride of pious virgins, O rejoice the glory and ornament of mothers!"?

I pray we rediscover the importance of all of our services such that we are not as a community of Orthodox in America "Sunday-only Christians".