Σχετικοί κανονισμοί, χειροθεσία και ενδυμασία / Canonical regulations dealing with chanters and their ordination rite

Σύμφωνα με τους Ιερούς Κανόνες οι Ψάλτες ανήκουν στους κατώτερους κληρικούς. Το επόμενο άθρο του πρ. Μητροπολίτη Νικοδήμου Βαληνδρά αναφέρεται στην θέση του Ψάλτη από την οπτική των Ιερών Κανόνων [html] (από το omsie.gr).

According to the Canon law of the Orthodox Church, chanters belong to the lower clergy. The following article by Metr. Nikodemos Vallindras deals with chanter's office from the Canon law perspective [html] (from omsie.gr).

The author does not consider an issue of a minimal age requirement when an ordination is permitted: according to one of Justinian's nearas it is 18 years, while the famous Byzantine canon law commentator Matthew Blastares remarks in his Alphabetic Syntagma that a reader must be ordained only after reaching the age when he knows and can read. In Greek practice (at least from the 19th c.) it is customary to ordain Readers (who are expected to eventually become psaltai without any further ordination) at a very young (children) age.

Since chanters belong to clergy, there is a special ordination rite for them. One of the important differences with ordination rites of a deacon, priest or bishop is that the rite is performed outside the sanctuary. To contrast the former rite with the latter group, it is usually referred to as cheirothesia and not cheirotonia.

Ακολουθία χειροθεσίας ψάλτη από το Ευχολόγιο το Μέγα, έκδοσις Σαλιβέρου, Αθήνα, 1927 [pdf]
An ordination rite of a chanter from the Euchologion to Mega published by Saliberos publishing house in Athens in 1927 [pdf]

A thorough discussion (in Russian) of the peculiarities of a chanter's ordination in the Russian Church and related questions by A.A. Dmitrievsky [djvu]

Η παραδοσιακή Ψαλτική ενδυμασία είναι το απλό και απέρριτο μαύρο ράσο. Δείτε και σχετική σελίδα [html].

As clergymen, chanters are entitled to wear special vestments when performing their duties. In modern Greek practice it is a black raso. See special page [html].