I warmly greet all of you – the organizers, participants, and guests of the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Choir Conduction in the Metropolitan District: The Path to Mastery.”
With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, the first International Congress of Choir Directors and Singers was held in the Russian capital at the end of 2016. The main outcome of this spiritually and culturally significant forum was the establishment of the Church-Public Council under the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia for the Development of Church Singing. Thanks to the work of the council and the subsequent holding of two more international choral congresses, the discussion of pressing issues related to choir directing and liturgical singing has been activated and continues at various levels – pan-Orthodox, diocesan, and parish. The topic of Orthodox musical art leaves neither hierarchs, clergy, nor parishioners indifferent, as church singing is an integral part of the Tradition of the Church of Christ, a vital component of spiritual life, and one of the important and expressive forms of contemporary church mission, encompassing liturgical, educational, and cultural dimensions.
Our conference provides a good opportunity to discuss practical and theoretical issues of church music and performance mastery within the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District. We can delve into the history of Orthodox choral traditions and share professional experiences. Before outlining several important issues concerning liturgical singing, I would like to remind everyone that the work of a choir director is a ministry to God and people, a noble calling that requires deep knowledge, high spiritual responsibility, and a constant striving for excellence. Both the choir director and the singers at the kliros must remember and understand that liturgical singing is, first and foremost, a prayerful conversation between a person and God, a verbal sacrifice, a gift pleasing to the Creator, and an expression of the soul’s devotion.
The first Christian hymn, according to the Gospel narrative, was brought to earth by angels on the night of Christ’s Nativity. The Savior Himself concluded the Last Supper with His disciples by singing psalms: “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Matthew 26:30), thereby sanctifying this ancient, Old Testament tradition. From its very inception, Christian worship was filled with the singing of prayers, as the Apostle Paul testifies: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (Hebrews 13:15). He also says to the Ephesians: “Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:18-19). Dionysius the Areopagite calls church singing a reflection of the singing of the Heavenly Hosts – the angelic ranks, who unceasingly glorify the Lord. According to the divine plan, the Orthodox Liturgy is the union of the heavenly and earthly realms, of angels and humans, in the worship of the Creator. Our hymns include angelic chants mentioned in Scripture and Tradition. For example, the hymn of the Seraphim, which the Prophet Isaiah beheld in his vision, is sung in every Eucharistic canon: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts! The whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). One of the most well-known hymns, “The Trisagion,” was also received from the angels.
Church singing does not merely accompany or embellish the service; it is itself a melodic sermon, amplifying the emotional and spiritual content of communal prayer, helping the listener to internalize and remember doctrinal truths.
With this in mind, I believe that for the development of choir direction and the improvement of liturgical singing, we should focus on the following issues. First, a choir director must not only be educated in musical science but also possess a theological foundation, understanding liturgical texts, being well-versed in liturgics and church rubrics, and fluent in Church Slavonic. Spiritual upbringing and the ecclesiastical integration of the singers are also the responsibility of the choir director, a task no less important than maintaining a high level of performance in the choir. In educational and pastoral activities, the choir director should rely on the clergy, seeking their support in this challenging work. It is essential to note the significance of complete understanding and collaboration between the choir and the altar.
The choir director should consult with the parish rector on matters such as the repertoire, the volume of sound, the tempo, and other aspects of the performance. Christian love must be the foundation of all relationships in the parish, especially between the clergy and church servants.
Second, our church singing must return to a prayerful spirit and atmosphere. The distortion and secularization of church music is an ancient problem. The 75th canon of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, held in 692, states: “We wish that those who come to church for singing shall not use disorderly shouts, nor force themselves into unnatural cries, nor introduce anything inappropriate or unfitting to the Church. But with great attention and humility, let them offer their singing to God, who watches over the hidden things.” The secularization of liturgical singing caused great concern among several prominent hierarchs and ascetics who sought to preserve the strictly ecclesiastical spirit of liturgical singing. The ever-memorable Patriarch Alexy I, who made great efforts to restore the liturgical order and beauty of our Church after decades of severe persecution, remarked: “Why chase after tasteless, from a church perspective, imitations of secular singing when we have wonderful examples of ancient church singing, sanctified by time and tradition?” The Patriarch went on to say, “Performing church hymns in the loud tone of secular romances or passionate operatic arias does not allow the worshippers to focus, nor does it help them grasp the meaning and content of the hymns.” He urged: “We must do everything possible to rid our church singing of the worldly spirit.”
The faithful expect prayer, not vocal experiments or virtuoso concerts, when they come to worship in the church. Slow, calm, and peaceful singing brings the worshippers closer to God. A choir director who tries to focus all attention on the performance of their choir is in the wrong. Church singing is meant not to distract worshippers but to aid in communion with God and elevate the souls of those in the temple toward Heaven. For singing to be proper, truly traditional, and ecclesiastical, the choir director and the singers must understand the meaning of the text being sung and pray themselves. The ever-memorable head of the choir school at the Moscow Theological Academy, Schema-Archimandrite Nikon (Smirnov), used to say: “When the choir director prays, the choir prays. When the choir prays, the whole church prays.”
Third, every choir director, based on the capabilities of their choir, objectively evaluating the vocal abilities and musical literacy of the singers, should select the appropriate repertoire. The range of musical genres and styles is vast. It requires a deep knowledge of church choral traditions, tact, and wisdom to avoid extremes. A novice choir director faces the risk of being either overly fascinated by ancient chants, such as the Znamenny or Byzantine singing, which can be difficult for modern parishioners to understand, or indiscriminately immersing themselves in polyphony that mimics beautiful but entirely secular music, pleasing to the ear but offering nothing to the heart.
Addressing these issues, along with exploring other important topics related to church music, liturgical singing, and the work of choir directors, is the task of our conference today and, I hope, of several future scientific and practical events of this kind. We all need to formulate an action plan for developing and strengthening choral groups within the dioceses of the Kazakhstan Metropolitan District. Sharing opinions, experiences, and knowledge will help choir directors and singers feel the importance of their ministry to God and people in the field of sacred music even more deeply.
For two thousand years, church singing, combining music and prayerful words, has influenced people with its grace-filled power – raising the soul above the earthly, healing spiritual weaknesses, easing sorrows, and helping a person experience the beauty of the Heavenly Kingdom. “Sing praises to our God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises” (Psalm 47:6). I wish you all fruitful work and useful fellowship. May God’s blessing be upon all of you.
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