Association of Armenian Church Choirs of America (AACCA)

The Voice - Summer 2001

Editor of The Voice: Mary Selvinazian

"The Voice" is a publication of the Association of Armenian Church Choirs of America. This issue contains the following articles:

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55th ANNUAL ASSEMBLY

Plans are under way for the Annual Choir Assembly, to be hosted by the Armenian Church of the Holy Ascension, Trumbull, CT, from November 1 through 4. The host choir under the presidency of Rev. Fr. Untzag Nalbandian, Pastor, invites you to take part in this spectacular event.

Some of the highlights include:
- Informative Assembly sessions
- Educational music workshops to expand our understanding of our sacred music
- A fabulous dinner-dance on Friday evening
- The annual banquet on Saturday evening, with a featured performer

On Sunday morning we will celebrate Soorp Badarak with clergy and choir members from all over the Diocese. We are especially excited that several of the regional Youth Choirs will join voices in Trumbull that day, as well as the Children's Bell Choir of Washington, DC.

The Armenian Church of the Holy Ascension looks forward to your participation in the Assembly this year, a noteworthy year in the history of the parish, its 70th Anniversary. All are welcome to join in the festivities. Assembly events will take place at the Church and guest rooms at the beautiful Marriott in Trumbull have been secured for only $79 per day. We look forward to seeing you.

Elisa Griego, Choir Director
Armenian Church of the Holy Ascension

Reminder from Central Council: If you have not done so already, please send in your booklet sponsorship to support the host choir.

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E-MAIL AND INTERNET

To be part of our growing e-mail distribution list, forward your e-mail address to sograd@erols.com. For updates on the work of the Association, including our bulletins, tutorials, reports and much more, please visit our website at:
www.erols.com/sograd/aacca

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AACCA AND ST. VARTAN CAMP

For the past two years, under the encouragement of our Primate, His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, the AACCA worked with the Department of Youth Ministry (DYM) to help provide music instruction as part of the St. Vartan Camp curriculum. A program fine-tuned over several years, has been developed by Maestro Khoren Mekanejian, Director of the Diocesan Department of Music Ministry (DMM), and has proven successful for teaching the youth at St. Vartan Camp. The same methods are now being utilized in establishing Junior Choirs throughout the Diocese.

Last year, Maestro Khoren and Mrs. Louise Yardumian led the music instruction of the campers. This July, the AACCA again offered training nwith emphasis on teaching the hymns of the Divine Liturgy at St. Vartan Camp, located at the Marvelwood School in Kent, CT, and for the first time at Hye Camp, located at Pleasant Lake, East Troy, WI, during August. This collaboration is a fine example of the synergy that exists among the Diocesan Departments, DYM, DMM, and AACCA. In addition to the curriculum, the AACCA donated a keyboard last year to the St. Vartan Camp for general use as well as a teaching tool in this program.

Paul Ketchoyian, Central Council

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SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED FOR 2001

The Central Council is pleased to announce the awarding of the St. Nersess Deacons Training Scholarships to Sam Mrofcza (St. Gregory the Illuminator, Chicago, IL) $250; Allison Haidostian (St. John, Southfield, MI) $250; Johnny El-Chemmas (St. John, Southfield, MI) $250. And the Margaret E. Hagopian Musical Training Scholarship to Ani Nalbandian (Holy Ascension, Trumbull, CT) $500. Congratulations to all!

Scholarships for training programs are made available to choir members and altar servers as part of the AACCA's objectives of encouraging them to learn and practice the teachings of the Church.

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ANNUAL DIOCESAN ASSEMBLY

In May 2001, the Diocesan Assembly was held in Watertown, MA, hosted by the St. James Armenian Church. Two of our Central Council members attended as diocesan delegates (Gregory Krikorian and Mary Selvinazian) and one member (Paul Ketchoyian) manned the AACCA booth, selling our publications.

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THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA..

At the time when the Association of Armenian Church Choirs of America was founded in 1946, its Annual Assembly minutes and those of various meetings of choirmasters and central councils were recorded in Armenian. Some of these recorded sessions from the years 1947-1948 have been translated into English by the Rev. Fr. Arten Ashjian at the request of the Central Council and, after being organized into a uniform text and reviewed by the Council, will be made available to interested persons.

We take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to Fr. Arten for giving of his valuable time and talent, not to mention his first-hand knowledge of the work of the Choir Association, since he was part of the original team.

This archival material as well as important and pertinent records of the Association (minutes, bulletins, choir annual reports, etc.) are stored at the Diocese of the Armenian Church. Current information about the AACCA is available on our web site, for which we thank Dr. Socrates Boyajian. Any suggestions on how to improve our web site may be sent in to Dr. Boyajian (see address on the first page.)

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SUCCESSFUL JUNIOR CHOIR WORKSHOP

On Saturday, August 11, 2001, the AACCA conducted a one-day workshop at the Diocese in New York, to begin implementation of its program of training Junior Choir directors. The purpose of the workshop was to learn the techniques of how to teach the hymns of the Badarak to our youngsters.

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian welcomed the participants, inspiring them with his support for the Junior Choir program, and commended Maestro Khoren on his wonderful effort and accomplishments in this special field.

Fr. Untzag Nalbandian, Diocesan Director of Programs and Ministries, happily stated that there are presently seventeen established Junior Choirs around the Diocese, with a potential of more to be formed, with a goal of having one in each parish.

Central Council Chairman Dr. Socrates Boyajian also welcomed everyone and introduced Gregory Krikorian as the Coordinator for this project. Deacon Gregory emphasized that "the focus area of this program was to make the Junior Choir important in the life of our children and their families."

The highlight of the workshop was the teaching of special techniques by Maestro Khoren for the teacher to use. One of the most important points brought out during the workshop was that the teacher must know the Badarak hymns by heart to make the task of teaching easier.

WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS

Fr. Untzag Nalbandian and Dn. Ara Kadehjian, Holy Ascension, Trumbull, CT
Fr. Zenob Nalbandian and Dorothy Deeran, Holy Cross, Lawrence, MA
Yn. Patricia Buttero and Adrienne Damian, Holy Resurrection, New Britain, CT
Dn. Gregory Krikorian, Holy Trinity, Cambridge, MA
Paul Ketchoyian, Sts. Vartanantz, Chelmsford, MA
Roland Telfeyan, Mission Parish, Charlotte, NC
Dr. Terenig Terjanian, St. Stepanos, Elberon, NJ
Mary Selvinazian, Holy Martyrs, Bayside, NY
Anoush Givelekian, St. Gregory the Enlightenener, White Plains, NY
Sue Mirakian, St. Gregory of Narek, Cleveland, OH
Maestro Konstantin Petrossian, St. Sahag & St. Mesrob, Providence, RI
Nancy Terzian Fox and Alla Foliyeva, Mission Parish, Nashville, TN
Dr. Socrates Boyajian and Leon Khoja-Eynatyan, St. Mary, Washington, DC
Allan Tossoonian, St. Leon, Fair Lawn, NJ

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FUND RAISER FOR JUNIOR CHOIRS

A support project has been launched to assist the Central Council and local parishes in their endeavors to promote the AACCA's Junior Choir Program. To quote from a recent communiqué issued from the Diocese and endorsed by the Primate, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, "We are happy to report a most unique opportunity that would strengthen our efforts to support the development of Junior Choirs".

A music CD by the Armenian soprano Ms. Sophia Gazarian has been produced by Mr. Sevada Badalian and will be donated to diocesan parishes, provided the proceeds of their sale go in full to support the Junior Choir program. The CD features favorite Armenian song selections with contemporary harmonizations by Tigran Mekertichian.

Parishes and choirs will receive copies of the CD and are asked to sell them and keep all the proceeds as income for their parish Junior Choir. More details can be found in the aforementioned communiqué, which is available from parish priests and choir directors. "This is a golden opportunity. Its success depends collectively on all of us."

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NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Very shortly, the Nominating Committee (Fr. Tavit Boyajian, Diramayr Zabel Odabashian, and Mary Selvinazian) will begin their task of securing candidates for election at the forthcoming Annual Choir Assembly. Please say "YES" when asked to run for office.

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CHOIR AND DEACONS ROBES

The Central Council can provide beautiful robes for choir singers and altar servers. Many of our choirs already have ordered and are using their new robes and some, we are pleased to say, have donated their previously used robes to fledgling mission parishes. Adult robes (choir in burgundy/ivory and deacon in blue/ivory) can be purchased for $100 each, youth robes (ivory only) are $80. Stoles (ourars) are also available for $40, or $60 for the wraparound style, as well as veils for $10. To place an order, please contact:

Mary Selvinazian
56-36 196 Place
Flushing, NY 11365;

by phone 718-423-5680 or e-mail maryamsel@worldnet.att.net

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