November is the month - beginning on the 5th - when we'll be gathering together once again for our annual assembly, the 52nd, at the Holy Trinity Armenian Apostolic Church of Greater Boston. We kick off with a dinner and dance on Thursday evening, to the tunes of the Hye Echoes Band.
Assembly sessions will be held on Friday and Saturday. In this year of The Gospel, workshops will have a special focus. An interesting "Wedding Workshop" will be offered by Fr. Garabed Kochakian and Deacon Rubik Mailian on Friday morning, November 6th, and on Saturday the 7th Fr. Daniel Findikyan and Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian will enlighten us with a workshop on "Scripture Application to the Liturgy". A Vespers Workshop will be presented by Dr. Socrates Boyajian who, together with Deacon George Devejian, has been working on the preparation of the Vesper Service. We will, of course, have our rehearsal with Maestro Khoren Meikandedjian in preparation for Sunday's Divine Litrugy.
We look forward to the presence, guidance and support of our Primate, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, and the clergy of our diocese.
A Nostalgia Night on Friday and the Assembly Banquet on Saturday will round out the social aspect of the Assembly. All events and meals will be held at the Holy Trinity Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Sheraton Commander Hotel has been secured for Assembly delegates and guests.
The Host Committee is busy at work to provide an enjoyable weekend. Look for the mailings and make your hotel and event reservations so as not to miss out.
The following was presented by Rubik Mailian and Louise Yardumian at a workshop at the 51st Annual Assembly held in Washington, D.C. It is being reprinted for the benefit of those who were not present.
We can lose our zeal, our vibrancy, our excitement, motivation and enthusiasm if we get into a Musical Rut!
There are several things we can do to vary the music in our Divine Liturgy. Without changing musical settings, we can change a hymn from:
Use different soloists - not the same person every single week - no one owns the solo!!!
Sing different settings of the Liturgy - Yegmalian, Gomidas, Chilingirian, Khorenian:
Match these verses from the Bible with the correct book, chapter and verse. Check Key to Bible Quiz for the answers.
1. Also with the lute I will praise You
And your faithfulness, O my God!
To You I will sing with the harp,
O Holy One of Israel.
2. Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare his deeds among the people.
3. Is anyone among you suffering?
Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful?
Let him sing psalms.
4. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of
God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:
"Great and marvelous are your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are your ways
O King of the saints."
5. Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and his holy arm have
gained him the victory.
6. Praise the Lord for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant.
7. And do not be drunk with wine, in which
is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another in psalms and hymns
and spritual songs, singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord.
8. When our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing,
Then they said among the nations,
"The Lord has done great things for them."
9. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
10.Serve the Lord with gladness
Come before his presence with singing.
A. Psalms 126:2
B. James 5:13
C. Psalms 98:1
D. Psalms 9:11
E. Col. 3:16
F. Psalms 100:2
G. Rev. 15:3
H. Psalms 135:3
I. Eph. 5:18-19
J. Psalms 71:22
The publication of the Sacred Music Books, Vols. I and II is one of the finest achievements of the AACCA. This endeavor is a culmination of over 50 years of working to maintain a uniformity and quality of liturgical music in the Armenian Church. This has been the foremost purpose of the AACCA - to publish music and to train choir members.
Many of our choirs use the new Sacred Music Books, published in 1995; however, many more do not use them, sadly enough.
We commend all of those church pastors, altar servers, choir directors and choir members who have participated in the annual assemblies of the AACCA, as well as in the regional workshops and national committees which have worked to preserve, maintain and develop the sacred music of our church. It may seem to be a contradiction in terms to use "preserve" and "develop" in the same sentence. However, we all know that the Armenian Church is a living, breathing body and its music is a part of that body. We must preserve it and develop it and improve it at the same time, just as we do our own bodies.
Our liturgical music has evolved over the centuries from the earliest chants written in the ancient form of writing music known as "khaz" to the music of the great Armenian liturgical composers of the 19th century and 20th centuries: Magar Yegmalian, Gomidas Vartabed and Vardan Sarxian. Through the efforts of the AACCA, we have refined and modified the works of these composers, both known and unknown, for practical use for our choirs now and in the 21st century and beyond.
The liturgical music of the Armenian Church is a precious treasure which we have inherited after many years of musical evolution. The current structures of the Divine Liturgy and other religious services are not what they were centuries ago. Our church today is a universal, world-wide church in which we have an ever greater need for uniformity and consistency. New parishes are being created all over the world and each one will have a choir. One should be able to go anywhere in the world, enter an Armenian church and instantly connect with our centuries-old worship services.
Early publications of the Divine Liturgy from the 19th and early 20th centuries have served as models from which the AACCA has developed new and completely modern and updated hymn books for our choirs to use. The finest trained professional musicians have used modern technology in the form of composing on computers, resulting in perfectly accurate renditions of ancient music which are easy to read musically as well as verbally - even for the non-trained singer and those unfamiliar with the Armenian language.
Those choirs using the new Sacred Music Books Vols. I and II are the choirs which set the standards for excellence. It is immediately apparent, even to a musically untrained person attending the Divine Liturgy, if a choir uses the proper texts and rehearses. The results are sureness of sound and meaning, smooth blending and transitions and a feeling of emotion and spirituality. The AACCA can only suggest that choirs adopt certain proposed techniques and practices. Each choir which succeeds has done so by a desire to achieve excellence and to provide the most harmonious, beautiful rendition of the Holy Badarak that they can. The tools have been provided. We must use them!
The AACCA has given us the means to be the best choirs - to sing for the glory of God. Yet many choirs still choose to use the antiquated, out-dated and inaccurate hymn books printed in the 1930's and 1940's, filled with many musical and verbal errors.
In 1965 the AACCA published the first volumes of the Sacred Music Books. In 1995 we improved on these volumes in organization, text, and accuracy of musical notation. It is always a challenge to use something which appears to be new. When our choirs become courageous enough to meet this challenge we will be able to glorify Christ in song. Congregations will become more transformed and uplifted during the Badarak, greater desire will evolve in wanting to learn the hymns of the liturgy and even an increase in choir membership might occur.
TO ORDER "SACRED MUSIC OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH, VOLUMES I AND II":
Send an e-mail to:
AACCA Book Order with your order.
Or write to:
Dr Socrates Boyajian
406 Thayer Place
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Or call area code 301-588-4607
Soft Cover Editions: $15 per volume
Hard Cover Editions: $20 per volume
The summer of 1999 promises to be one to remember for Armenian Youth of ages 10 to 14 to learn, sing, play and perform Armenian music.
Watch for details about how your youngster can participate in a unique, exciting musical experience with the finest music instructors. The relaxed, casual, fun atmosphere of St Nersess Armenian Seminary in New Rochelle will be the setting for this program. Applications will be available soon.
The "Morning Service" publication used at last year's Choir Assembly is in its final stages. This new edition will enable choirs and deacons to present the Sunday Morning Service of the Armenian Church in their parishes with the use of one book. The "Khorenian Badarak", sought after by many choirs, is also nearing completion.
. . . to Rev. Fr. Arten Ashjian, Rev. Fr. Garen Gdanian and Rev. Fr. Arnak Kasparian of the Eastern Diocese on the 50th Anniversary of their ordination to the Holy Priesthood. These three clergymen, along with Rev. Fr. Vartan Megherian of the blessed memory and Rev. Fr. Shahe Altounian of the Western Diocese were ordained in 1948 by the then Primate, Archbishop Tiran Nersoyan.
1. J
2. D
3. B
4. G
5. C
6. H
7. I
8. A
9. E
10. F