MISSION
The hymnody of the Greek Orthodox Church has been handed down through the ages in a complete form, consisting of thousands of texts that include Psalms, prayers, praises, poems, sermons, and histories. The language of these texts in their original Greek is of a very high literary quality containing much poetic description, imagery, and power. These carefully constructed texts are accompanied by a specifically-formulated musical system for their oral expression by appointed chanters and choirs of the Church who lead the congregation in hymn singing and responses. Today, these chanters and choirs include both the formally trained and ordained, and musical volunteers from the laity who may be untrained in the rubrics of Orthodox hymnody. For these chanters and choirs with lesser training, this website offers resources, educational essays, and all of the hymns in the Sunday Resurrectional and Festal Divine Liturgies and other common hymns and services. The hymns are in Greek and English. There are many English translations elsewhere, but many fail to transmit the poetry and power of their Greek counterparts, nor are many metered properly to the model melodies of the Church, which makes it impossible to chant them in the prescribed manner. The English versions on this website try to correct these problems and make the English as understandable, poetic, and easy to convey as possible.
The hymnody of the Greek Orthodox Church has been handed down through the ages in a complete form, consisting of thousands of texts that include Psalms, prayers, praises, poems, sermons, and histories. The language of these texts in their original Greek is of a very high literary quality containing much poetic description, imagery, and power. These carefully constructed texts are accompanied by a specifically-formulated musical system for their oral expression by appointed chanters and choirs of the Church who lead the congregation in hymn singing and responses. Today, these chanters and choirs include both the formally trained and ordained, and musical volunteers from the laity who may be untrained in the rubrics of Orthodox hymnody. For these chanters and choirs with lesser training, this website offers resources, educational essays, and all of the hymns in the Sunday Resurrectional and Festal Divine Liturgies and other common hymns and services. The hymns are in Greek and English. There are many English translations elsewhere, but many fail to transmit the poetry and power of their Greek counterparts, nor are many metered properly to the model melodies of the Church, which makes it impossible to chant them in the prescribed manner. The English versions on this website try to correct these problems and make the English as understandable, poetic, and easy to convey as possible.
