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In electing Metropolitan Jonah, the Orthodox Church in America was led to pick not only its youngest and newest bishop, but also one who is a convert to the Orthodox Faith. Perhaps in time this will affect some of the elements of imperial Byzantine court ritual that still remain in the hierarchal Divine Liturgy. Nevertheless, whenever a bishop serves it is customary to offer musical settings that are particularly elaborate and festive, in part to cover certain liturgical actions that require more time (the Great Entrance, the Communion of the clergy), but also as a way of marking the special character of the occasion.
The recording from which most of the selections are taken, Master, Bless by Archangel Voices, offers Divine Liturgy hymns appropriate for a bishop's service, but it also breaks new ground in that it renders in English some of the hymns and acclamations that are to this day commonly sung in Greek in many churches--“Ton dhespotin,” “Eis polla eti, dhespota,” “Axios!” and others.
This program features the following hymns:
- From the Rising of the Sun~Johann von Gardner
- It Is Truly Fitting~Russian “Greek” Chant, arr. Alexander Nikolsky
- Ton dhespotin~Melody from Constantinople, arr. J. von Gardner
- The Prophets Proclaimed You~Priest Ivan Moody
- Let Your Soul Rejoice~ Priest Ivan Moody
- Lord, Preserve Our Master (Trio)~Melody from Constantinople, arr. J. von Gardner
- Come, Let Us Worship~Russian “Greek” Chant, arr. V. Morosan
- Trisagion from Hierarchal Entrance Rite~Byzantine Chant
- The Office of Ordination
- O Holy Martyrs~Common Russian Chant
- Lord, Have Mercy~Maxim Kovalevsky; Alexei Lvov
- Axios; He Is Worthy~J. von Gardner
- Eis polla (Trio and Chorus)~Priest Georgi Izvekov
- Many Years to You, O Master (Trio and Chorus)~Dmitry Bortniansky
Below follow some further details concerning the hymnography and symbolism of the Orthodox hierarchal Divine Liturgy.
St. Ignatius, who was bishop of Antioch in the first century, wrote: “Where the bishop is, there let the people gather, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Universal Church.” Indeed, the hierarchal Divine Liturgy--“where the bishop is”--is the most solemn and majestic form of the Orthodox Eucharist. Whether celebrated at a cathedral or in a parish during an episcopal visit, this service--when served in its fullest form--calls for special hymns and special ways of performing them.
In the symbolism that permeates the hierarchal liturgy, the bishop is greeted at the church doors as Christ Himself would be greeted: he is escorted into the church and vested in the center as the “bridegroom of the Church”: the hymn that accompanies this entrance before the vesting is the Hymn to the Theotokos, “It is truly fitting to call you blessed”--for it is through her that Christ came into the world in the flesh.
As the bishop completes his entrance prayers and turns to bless the assembled faithful, he is greeted with the hymn “Ton dhespotin ke arkhierea imon, Kyrie filate. Eis polla eti, dhespota” [Lord, preserve our master and bishop. Many years to you, Master!”--which continues to be sung in Greek throughout many Orthodox churches, even in the Slavic lands, in recognition of the fact that the Orthodox hierarchy, and the Orthodox faith itself, were sent there through the missionary efforts of the Church of Constantinople.
After giving the blessing, the bishop proceeds to the center of the church where he is vested during the singing of the special vesting hymns, “The prophets proclaimed you from on high, O Virgin”--which refers to the numerous Old-Testament prophetic references to the Virgin Theotokos, and “Let your soul rejoice in the Lord.” Then, finally, the bishop, fully vested, gives the blessing again, this time with the special triple and double candlesticks, and we hear the hymn “Ton dhespotin” again.
During the first portion of a hierarchal divine liturgy, the bishop stands in the center of the church with the people, facing the altar; representing Christ, he leads and lifts up the worshipping assembly to God the Father. At the Small Entrance, all the clergy process into the altar, beginning the chant “Come, let us worship,” which is then triumphantly picked up by the choir and the people.
Every national Orthodox church and every chant tradition has its special versions of hymns that are sung when a bishop celebrates. In the Byzantine chant tradition, this usually means more melodic elaboration and extension. The medieval version of the Hierarchal Trisagion hymn featured on this program, and of which we hear only a small portion, lasts almost thirteen minutes in its entirety. On the recording, one hears the alternation of the chants sung by the two choirs of chanters, on the rights and on the left, and the same words--“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us!”-- sung by the celebrating clergy from the high place behind the altar.
One of the special things that a bishop does on special occasions is perform the Office of Ordination, in which he exercises the Apostolic mandate to authorize others--priests and deacons--to preside in his absence, thus guaranteeing the ongoing presence and action of Christ within the Church, and ensuring that all things are done “decently and in order” as St. Paul exhorts in his first Epistle to the Corinthinans. In the Slavic tradition, some of the hymns of ordination continue to be sung in Greek, for example, the extended “Kyrie, eleison,” during the bishop’s prayer for the candidate to be ordained, and the exclamation “Axios”--which means “He is worthy.”
At a certain point in history, some bishops, especially in Russia, maintained hierarchal choirs comprised of men and boys. Some of the boys accompanied the bishop on his travels around the diocese and sang special trios at certain points in the service, responding to the bishop’s blessing with the words “Eis polla eti, dhespota” or “Many years to you, Master!” These trios, especially, the one composed some 200 years ago by Dmitry Bortniansky (1751–1825), continue to be sung throughout many churches of various national backgrounds, both in the Old World and in the New.
The continued use of Old-World languages and 200-year-old trios in the hierarchal Divine Liturgy impart a tangible, audible sense of continuity with regard the unbroken Apostolic succession carried forth by all Orthodox hierarchs. At the same time, the liturgical and musical elaboration we hear in this service is by no means an end in itself, but is a direct manifestation of the symbolism inherent in the presence of the hierarch. For Orthodox Christians there is only one Master, Bishop, High Priest (Archiereos), Prophet, Shepherd, and King: the Lord Jesus Christ. In antiquity, the title “bishop” (episkopos) referred to the chief slave in a master’s household, whose job it was to carry out the master’s will; yet he remained always a slave. Those who have been sacramentally consecrated (set apart) to be bishops in the Church are entrusted with the awe-inspiring task of manifesting the headship, presence and action of the One High Priest.
Once again, we join with the prayers of many on behalf of Metropolitan Jonah, that God, through the Holy Spirit, will bless, guide, and strengthen him as he accepts the yoke of his new responsibilities.
--Vladimir Morosan
11/13/2008
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