Singing is for Everyone!
The links on this page are for anyone who simply wants to learn more about our music at our regular services, whether to sing from the choir, or to sing from the congregation.
A few notes about singing in the congregation:
When should I sing? There are three groups that sing during services:
Choir - you can sing along with them, as long as all the singers are singing. There are occasional solo pieces, and small group pieces (done from the center of the nave) which you should not sing. Make sure to watch the conductor for cues so you don't sing ahead of the choir!
The reader - he or she stands at the carved wooden kliros (music stand) and chants portions of the service. You should never sing along with them - their job is to recite things such as scriptures and prayers that you should be listening to.
The clergy - deacons, priests and bishops will have prayers and occasional musical pieces that they sing alone. You should never sing along with them, unless the choir is also singing.
The notes are too high, what do I do? The melody lines we use are often in the soprano voice, which means they'll be quite high for some people. I encourage women with lower voices to learn the alto or tenor parts, and for men to learn the tenor or bass parts. Not only will it make our music sound more full, it'll be easier for you to sing!
Can I sing a harmony part? Yes! But please don't improvise harmonies - sheet music is available for most of our services in the narthex, and as our choir is small and often has to sing unison, it may be hard to tell what the harmony should be. We also use some Byzantine music which has an entirely different musical theory you may not be familiar with. Improvised harmonies tend to catch on and are hard for the choir to correct as we grow with more singers.
Most pages will have audio files for each of the four vocal parts, a pdf of sheet music, and a YouTube video for reference, wherever possible. Most sheet music can be found in the St. Vladimir's Seminary Divine Liturgy music book (aka, the Green Book), which you can purchase through the bookstore if interested.
Without further ado, please enjoy browsing the music below!