DIOCESAN CHOIR ASSOCIATION HOLDS SUCCESSFUL 52ND ANNUAL ASSEMBLY IN CAMBRIDGE, MA
An historic suburb of Boston was the site of the Annual Assembly of the Association of Armenian Church Choirs of America from November 5 through 8, 1998, with the choir of Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Cambridge, MA, acting as host to 32 delegates from 16 parishes and the Central Council of the AACCA. A small but very active committee, headed by Arpie Kouzouian and Diramayr Zabel Odabashian under the presidency of their pastor, Rev. Fr. Mampre Kouzouian, excelled in providing all sorts of hospitality for their guests.
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate, presided over the events of the Assembly, which were held at the Holy Trinity Church. Dr Socrates Boyajian of St. Mary's Church, Washington, DC, served as Chairman and Carol Loshigian of Holy Martyrs Church, Bayside, NY, was Secretary for the Assembly. Officers of the AACCA Central Council for 1997-1998 were as follows: Chair, Mary Selvinazian, Bayside, NY; Vice-Chair, Yn. Roberta Kochakian, White Plains, NY; Treasurer, Norman Noorjanian, Milford, MA; Recording Secretary, Louise Yardumian, St. Petersburg, FL; Corresponding Secretary, Arpie Kouzouian, Belmont, MA; Advisor, Allan Tossoonian, Waldwick, NJ. The Central Council serves as the executive body of the Choir Association, under the presidency of His Eminence the Primate.
Each day's session was opened with Matins, the Morning Service of the Armenian Church, which was instructed and directed by Dr. Socrates Boyajian. The Central Council's agenda for the Assembly included several informative educational and musical workshops on varied topics of interest to choir members and altar servers. On Friday, November 6, the Very Rev. Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian spoke on "Praise the Lord in Word and Worship" and the Rev. Fr. Krior Sabounjian spoke on "Our Communion with God at the Table and in Song". The Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan and Dr. Socrates Boyajian conducted a workshop on "The Vespers of the Armenian Church" also on Friday. Everyone was extremely appreciative of the quality of the workshops and thanked the Central Council for its excellant choices.
Kept to a minimum again this year, the business sessions included reports of the Central Council and committees, elections and approval of the Association's budget for 1999. The Council's major programs for 1999 are the initiation of regional youth choir camps as a preview to a week-long summer camp; the publication of the Khorenian setting of the Divine Liturgy; and the continuation of choir workshops, the first of which in the immediate future will take place in Richmond, VA, February 19-21, 1999. The monumental taks of organizing a Touring Choir for the Pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the year 2000 is also a priority item on the Council's agenda. Justly proud of its most recent accomplishment, the Central Council enourages everyone to visit its new website at www.erols.com/sograd/aacca.
The Primate addressed the delegates with words of encouragement and appreciation for the work being done by the choirs and the Central Council. His Eminence exhorted harmony among the choir, priest and deacons in order to have a beautiful Badarak, and advised that continuous rehearsals be held and that the new sacred music books be used. He noted that the youth are eager to learn, as evidenced by the programs held at our two diocesan summer camps, St. Vartan Camp and Hye Camp, as well as by the growth of parish youth choirs. Archbishop Barsamian announced the establishment of a Liturgical Chair at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary with Fr. Daniel Findikyan as the director and stated that the Central Council will be working together with Fr. Daniel in this project. Looking ahead to the new millennium, His Eminence stated that on the occasion of the 2000th anniversary of the Birth of Christ, a diocesan committee is planning for the pilgirmage to Jerusalem 2000, with the Divine Liturgy to be celebrated in Bethlehem and the Service of the Batism of Our Lord at the River Jordan.
The social events of the Assembly including breakfasts, afternoon lunches, a Kef Night, a Nostalgia Night, and the Annual Assembly Banquet, all held at the Holy Trinity Armenian Church, provided opportunities for choir members and altar servers to renew old friendships and make new ones. The climax of the Assembly Banquet was the announcement by Ms. Selvinazian of awards for 1998. The oustanding choir to receive the coveted Gomidas Vartabed Award was the Holy Martyrs Armenian Church Choir of Bayside, NY, whose chairperson Carol Loshigian accepted for her choir. Honorable mention went to the St. Thomas Armenian Church of Tenafly, NJ. The Armenian Churh of Our Saviour, Worcester, MA, represented by Vahe Jardarian, received the Yegmalian Award for excellence in their altar server program. The Central Council's Certificate of Achievement was presented to Dr. Socrates Boyajian for his outstanding service to the AACCA during 1998. The Central Council also bid a fond farewell to Rev. Fr. Garabed Kochakian who, in his capacity as Diocesan Chancellor for the past six years, had served as advisor to the Council and liaison to the diocese. A special gift was presented to him on the eve of his departure to assume a new post as pastor of St. John Armenian Church of Southfield, MI.
As a result of elections which took place during the final session of the Assembly, Dr. Socrates Boyajian and Allan Tossoonian were elected to the Central Council for three year terms. Together with the remaining members, the Central Council held it internal elections at the conclusion of the Assembly; the following are the officers of the Central Council for 1998-1999: Chair, Dr. Socrates Boyajian; Vice-Chair, Arpie Kouzouian; Treasurer, Norman Noorjanian; Recording Secretary, Allan Tossoonian; Corresponding Secretary, Louise Yardumian; Advisor, Yn. Roberta Kochakian. Mary Selvinazian will continue to serve as Special Projects Advisor.
On Sunday morning, a combined choir of forty voices sang the hymns of the Morning Service (Matins) under the direction of Dr. Socrates Boyajian, and the Divine Liturgy under the direction of Maestro Khoren Meikhandedjian, at the Holy Trinity Armenian Church. The celebrant was Rev. Fr. Hovhaness Hovhannesian of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabagh and the homilist was the Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan. The host parish's hospitality was again evidenced at the farewell luncheon held in the parish hall following the liturgy at which time choir members took leave of each other with fond thoughts of another memorable convocation.
Following the submission of this news release, the AACCA Central Council has learned, with great sorrow, of the sudden passing of Norman Noorjanian.