Can you please tell me whose is the beautiful voice that sings Axion Estin on your podcast?

Thanks in advance,
Aleksandar
learner of chant

enjoyed the interview, but did not learn much about the intricacies of byzantine chant. I belong to an Antiochian Church and we sing a great deal of Russian style music. Our chanters use Byzantine music mostly for singing the Matins, but we have had to extend our Matins service 15 - 20 minutes because of them elongating or singing the hymn too slowly. Frankly, we often lose the meaning of the hymn by the time they finish chanting because they have elongated a word or phrase.

Aleksandar, I believe the chanter in the recording is Sister Marie Keyrouz, a Maronite nun. Her recordings are available on Amazon.com and other outlets.

Evelyn, perhaps the interview was a bit mis-titled. I think we were talking more about the state of Greek Orthodox music and Byzantine chant in America. As for the issues you raise about your chanters, they could be discussed for hours. Some of the Matins (Orthros) hymns, such as the praises and the doxastica, are traditionally elongated. These traditions were established over centuries and are not from the egos of any particular chanters. You can visit our website, newbyz.org, and read some articles that may explain some of the traditions.