Washington, D.C., September 13, 2022
oca.org
The new Archdiocesan Choir of Washington, D.C., of the Orthodox Church in America gave its premier concert on Sunday, August 28, at the OCA’s St. Nicholas Cathedral.
The concert consisted of hymns from Great Vespers and Divine Liturgy with music composed entirely by American Orthodox composers, reports the OCA.
The choir was formed earlier this year with the blessing and support of His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon of All America and Canada, and is directed by Juliana Woodill. Though it is a project of the OCA, it includes singers from other jurisdictions as well. It’s primary purpose will be to sing at services and events in the Archdiocese and for Met. Tikhon.
The group chose its repertoire for its premier concert from over 100 submitted compositions with hope “to share music that is both uniquely American and liturgically appropriate.”
His Beatitude reflected upon the importance of liturgical music at the conclusion of the concert, saying: “Our liturgical hymns and our sacred worship do not provide escapes for us but rather provide a conduit for the grace of God to fill and strengthen our hearts, whether they be joyful or suffering, and bind us together in one of the few ways that human beings can be truly united: communion with Christ through sacred worship.”
Watch the choir’s premier concert:
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