Association of Armenian Church Choirs of America (AACCA)
Bulletin #09 2002
To: Parish Priests, Choir Chairs, Choir Directors, Organists
From: Dn Gregory Krikorian, AACCA Central Council Chair
Date: August 21, 2002
Subject: Choir Annual Report and Choir Member Mailing List
Enclosed please find the Choir Annual Report form for the year 2001.
We ask that your choir's executive committee fill out the form carefully. We request that you again share your choir's concerns with the Central Council; in addition, we have provided a space for you to indicate the reasons why you feel your choir is worthy of receiving the Gomidas Vartabed Award.
The Annual Report is important to the Central Council in order to know the status of our choirs. It is also vital for us to have your choir's current executive committee and members' names, addresses, and telephone numbers in order to communicate information directly to them. A separate page is attached to the report form for updating your choir list.
Please note: any report that is incomplete - i.e. missing signatures, no officers or membership list attached - will not be acceptable or eligible for consideration in choosing the Gomidas Vartabed Award recipient.
We request that the completed and signed Annual Report, Choir Member Mailing List, and cassette tape be returned by October 5, 2002, to:
David Livingstone
7706 Yolanda Road
Richmond, VA 23229-4245
Choir Annual Report
January 1, 2001 - December 31, 2001
Submit By: October 5, 2002
Return this completed form, duly signed, and accompanied by an audio cassette tape of a Divine Liturgy excerpt sung by your choir, to:
David Livingstone
7706 Yolanda Road
Richmond, VA 23229-4245
Name of Parish: ______________________________________
City, State: ______________________________________
Choir name: (if other than church name): ______________________________________
Name of Pastor(s): ______________________________________
Name of Choir Director/Leader: ______________________________________
Name of Organist: ______________________________________
The following questions seek to evaluate the progress of our parishes toward the encouragement and edification of altar servers. Altar Server refers in general to deacons, subdeacons, stole bearers and acolytes. (In the case of a yes or no question, circle the
appropriate answer.)
1. Does your church have a regular training program for acolytes? Yes No
If yes, describe briefly. __________________________________________________
2. Who instructs your altar server instructional classes and how oftern are they held?
____________________________________________________________________
3. Does the Pastor attend (or lead) the classes? Yes No
4. What instructional materials, if any, are used? ________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
5. Do they use the Deaconıs Guidebook and cassette? Yes No
6. Please list all publications used by your altar servers during liturgical rites. _______________
_____________________________________________________________________
7. Are your altar servers familiar with the musical variables of the Divine Liturgy according to the Church Calendar? Yes No
8. Do you have a plan for recruiting new Acolytes? Yes No
Do you have plans for recruiting new Deacons/Subdeacons? Yes No
If yes, explain. ________________________________________________________
9. Have your altar servers been represented at previous AACCA Assemblies? Yes No
10. Will your altar servers be represented at the forthcoming Choir Assembly? Yes No
11. How many Deacons, Subdeacons and Acolytes do you have?
Deacons ___ Subdeacons ___ Acolytes ___
12. How many Deacons attend weekly? ___
How many Subdeacons attend weekly? ___
How many Acolytes attend weekly? ___
13. Do your Deacons/Subdeacons have a knowledge of reading Armenian? Yes No
14. Do your Deacons/Subdeacons have a skill of reading music? Yes No
15. Do your altar servers attend choir rehearsals and coordinate services with the choir? Yes No
16. Any other information you would like the Central Council to know regarding your altar server program.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
17. Is your parish interested in hosting a deacons workshop under the auspices of the Central Council? Yes No
If yes, list the types of workshops that would be of interest .
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Please be sure to list Deacons, Subdeacons and Acolytes in your membership list submitted with this report.
1. Do you have a special program to encourage congregational singing? Yes No
Explain ______________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
2. a. How often does your choir rehearse per month? __________________________
b. What percentage of the choir attends rehearsals, based upon membership? ________
c. If you have a parish priest, does he attend rehearsals? Yes No
If yes, how often? __________________________________________________
3. a. Does your choir sing in four-part harmony? Yes No
b. Which musical settings of the Badarak are sung? Yegmalian Gomidas Khorenian
c. Does your choir sing any hymns composed by musicians other than the aforementioned? Yes No
If yes, explain. ________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
4. Does your choir sing the appropriate musical variables of the day according to the particular Sunday of the year? Always Sometimes Never
5. a. Does your choir sing Hishescheer yev uzmez? Always Sometimes Never
b. Does your choir sing all proper Jashoo Sharagans? Always Sometimes Never c. Does your choir sing the Alleluia of the Requiem Service? Always Sometimes Never
d. Does your choir sing the corrected version of Ee Verinn Yerooshaghem? Always Sometimes Never
e. List every Tapor Sharagan that your choir sings. __________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
f. List the Meghetis your choir sings. __________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
6. Which of the following publications does your choir utilize?
a. Sunrise Service (Vartan Sarxian) ___
b. Armenian Church Choir Directorıs Manual ___
c. Blessing of the Choir Service ___
d. Deaconıs Guidebook and Cassette for the Divine Liturgy ___
e. The Deacon (Morning Service) ___
f. Divine Liturgy Tracts - Introit, Trisagion, Nicene Creed ___
g. Gomidas Badarak ___
h. Order of Oil Bearing Women (Yooghaperits) ___
i. Revised Sacred Music of the Armenian Church Vols. I & II ___
j. Sunday Morning Service (Revised) ___
7. What additional publications would you find useful? __________________________
____________________________________________________________________
8. In which of the following special services does your choir actively participate?
a. Aravodyan Zham (Morning Service) ___
b. Antasdan Service ___
c. Arevakal (Sunrise Service) ___
d. Lenten Evening Services ___
e. Avak Shapat (Holy Week)
1. Palm Sunday Turnpatsek ___
2. Holy Thursday ___
3. Holy Friday ___
4. Easter Eve ___
f. Eve of Theophany ___
g. Vartanants ___
h. Ascension Day ___
i. Baptism Service ___
j. Wedding Service ___
k. Funeral Service ___
l. other* ___
* any additional services like Thankgiving Eve Services, Ecumenical Services, etc.
9. Has your choir been able to sponsor projects/programs this year in your parish? Yes No
If so, give a brief description of the activity . ________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
10. How many members are in your Senior Choir? ___
Of your membership, how many attend weekly? ___
11. Has your choir adopted a mission parish choir? Yes No
If yes, which one. __________________________________________________
Explain ______________________________________________________________
12. Do you have a Junior Choir? Yes No
a. If yes, how many boys? ___ girls? ___ age span? ________
b. How are they instructed and how often? ________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
c. How often does your Junior Choir sing in church? __________________________
d. How much of the Badarak do they sing? ________________________________
e. Do they sing for special occasions other than the Liturgy? Yes No
Explain ______________________________________________________________
f. Do they use the special childrenıs volumes Voskeporig (Treasury of Hymns) and Medz Avedis (Armenian Christmas Music)? Yes No
13. Do you have a planned membership drive for your Senior Choir? Yes No
Explain ______________________________________________________________
Do you have a planned membership drive for your Junior Choir? Yes No
Explain ______________________________________________________________
14. Does your choir hold business meetings? Yes No
If yes, how often? __________________________________________________
15. Does your Parish Priest attend the business meetings? Yes No
16. Is your Senior Choir interested in hosting a workshop under the auspices of the Central Council? Yes No
If yes, list types of workshops that would be of interest. __________________________
____________________________________________________________________
17. If you have a Junior Choir, would they be interested in participating in a workshop under the auspices of the Central Council? Yes No
If yes, give details. __________________________________________________
18. Was your choir represented at the previous Annual Choir Assembly? Yes No
If not, why? ________________________________________________________
19. Will your choir be represented at the forthcoming Annual Choir Assembly? Yes No
If not, please explain. __________________________________________________
20. Would your choir be interested in hosting an Annual Choir Assembly in the Yes No
future?
If so, what year? YEAR ________
If yes, permission from the host Parish Priest and Parish Council should be acertained prior to making the formal bid at the Assembly.
21. Was your choir able to send a Choir Day plate collection/donation to the AACCA this year? Yes No
22. Did anyone from your choir apply for a scholarship for participation in the St Nersess Armenian Seminary Summer Conferences this year? Yes No
23. Is anyone from your choir, church school, or ACYOA planning to apply next year? Yes No
24. Has anyone from your choir applied for the Margaret E. Hagopian Musical Training Scholarships this year? Yes No
25. Does anyone from your choir anticipate applying for such a scholarship next year? Yes No
26. Please indicate the reasons for which you believe your choir is worthy to receive the Gomidas Vartabed Award.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
27. Please use this space to share your ideas, concerns, and/or suggestions which will help the Central Council to futher the goals of the AACCA.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
28. In order for this report to be considered valid a current membership list of your choir, with officers indicated, must be attached hereto.
If you wish, you may use the sample form provided, to fill in the required information.
Please remember: incomplete or unsigned reports will not be eligible for consideration in choosing the Gomidas Vartabed Award recipient.
________________________________ _______________
Choir Secretary Date
________________________________ _______________
Choir Chairperson Date
________________________________ _______________
Pastor or Parish Council Chairperson Date
Choir Membership for the parish of
___________________________
Name: ____________________
Address: ____________________
Phone: ____________________
Choir Member _____ Altar Server _____ Choir Officer _____
(Check all that apply for the above.)
(You may use this form and copy it as necessary to list your choir members.)
Go back to the Bulletins 2002 Table of Contents
Go back to the AACCA Home Page