Singing Divine Liturgy at St. George’s Antiochian Orthodox Church, Portland (A report)

Cappella Romana members John S. Boyer, David Krueger, Les Green, Mark Powell, John Michael Boyer, LeaAnne DenBeste, Catherine van der Salm, Christina Abdul-Karim, and Jo Routh sang the service of the Divine Liturgy at St. George’s Antiochian Orthodox Church, Portland, Oregon, on October 5, 2008.

Byzantine chant in English formed the basis for the service music, the same chants sung on Cappella Romana’s recent recording of the Divine Liturgy, complete with the ecstatic setting of the Dynamis, arranged by John Michael Boyer and modeled after the Dynamis by Nileus Kamarados.

The choir also sang a selection of polyphonic works, including setting of the Great Doxology by Fr. Sergei Glagolev, a Cherubic Hymn and “Your Mystic Supper” in English by Tikey Zes.

The church was full, both with regular parishioners and with guests who came as a result of an open invitation sent to Portland-area Cappella Romana patrons and donors, giving the public a chance to experience Orthodox church music in its proper liturgical context.

We hope this pilot project will grow into a somewhat regular schedule of outreach performances and services to broaden Cappella Romana’s reach into the community.

Mark Powell
Executive Director