St. Tikhon’s Monastery, the oldest Orthodox monastery in America, has published an in-depth, twelve-part video series on the fascinating yet complicated topic of Liturgics for Readers and Choir Directors in the Orthodox Christian tradition.
The rank of a particular commemoration on the liturgical calendar governs many details about how the services for that day will be celebrated. Which stichera (and how many) will be sung at Vespers, whether Matins will have a Gospel reading or the Great Doxology, and whether we sing weekday or Sunday Theotokia at these services are just a few of the details which the rank determines. The ranks, as discussed in this lesson, are the following:
Simple
Double
Six-Stichera
Great Doxology
Polyeleos
Vigil
Used with permission
