Good Music Lifts Us Up Towards God

(This interview with Russian conductor Vladimir Gorbik was first published in Pravoslavie i sovremennost, the official journal of the Diocese of Saratov, Russia) As previously reported in the Orthodox Arts Journal, a new symphony orchestra has been established in Moscow under the direction of Vladimir Gorbik—chief choirmaster of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Representation (Podvorye) in…

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Voice and machine: Technology and Orthodox liturgical music

Recently, iconographer Aidan Hart published the thought-provoking essay “Hand and machine: Making liturgical furnishings”. Mr. Hart’s piece is part of an ongoing exploration by liturgical artists of the question of how technology has changed, and is continuing to change, our relationship to crafts that have up until recently been done by hand. Liturgical designer Andrew Gould has…

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Good Church Music Starts with Kids

In response to some important questions I’ve gotten about teaching kids to sing in church, I’ve asked my wife Maria Sheehan, a longtime music teacher, to write a guest post based on her experience. — Benedict Editor’s note: This article is republished from Benedict Sheehan’s blog, The Music Stand. *** I have been a vocal…

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Fr. Ivan Moody at SVOTS

As part of their Sacred Arts Initiative, St-Vladimir Seminary is organizing an event with our own Father Ivan Moody. The event is titled Past, Present and Future of Orthodox Music , and some of the tone and content can be already gleaned from the interview that was done with fr. Ivan by Dr. Peter Bouteneff…

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The Idea of Canonicity in Orthodox Liturgical Art

First published in Composing and Chanting in the Orthodox Church: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Orthodox Church Music, Joensuu: ISOCM/University of Joensuu, 2009, 337-342  © 2009 Ivan Moody All rights reserved.   The Idea of Canonicity in Orthodox Liturgical Art Ivan Moody  “Divine beauty is transmitted to all that exists, and it is…

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Pan-Orthodox Music Symposium Announced for June 2016

Registration now open for Minneapolis event Minneapolis, MN – The International Society for Orthodox Church Music (www.isocm.com) will host a pan-Orthodox music symposium at St Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral from Wednesday, June 22 through Sunday, June 26, 2016. The event will include presentations and workshops, music reading sessions, rehearsals, and will culminate in a festive hierarchical…

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Till Morn Eternal Breaks

On November 9, a new recording by the Chamber Choir of St. Tikhon’s Monastery of original compositions and arrangements, entitled “Till Morn Eternal Breaks: Sacred Choral Music of Benedict Sheehan,” will go on sale from St. Tikhon’s Monastery Press. (To pre-order, visit stspress.com) The project is the first of its kind: a recording of new Orthodox music…

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The State of Church Singing in America: An Interview with Choirmaster Benedict Sheehan

Editor’s Note: This interview appeared originally on pravoslavie.ru, with questions posed by Jesse Dominick. Benedict Sheehan is a composer, conductor, arranger, writer about, and teacher of, music. He currently plies his trade at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and Monastery, where, since 2010, he has taught Orthodox liturgical music and directed the choirs. Benedict is also a regular…

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