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musician

Since 2022, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America has designated the first Sunday of October as Church Musician Sunday. The yearly recognition of church musicians is held in connection with the memory of Saints Romanus the Melodist and John Koukouzelis on October 1 and recognizes the vital ministry of church musicians in the liturgical and communal life of the Church.

This year, Church Musician Sunday will be observed on October 4 and offers parishes throughout the Orthodox Church in America an opportunity to give thanks for those who serve the Church through the ministry of liturgical music.

As Church Musician Sunday approaches, parishes are encouraged to:

  • Mark this Sunday on their calendars and in bulletins
  • Share the written message from His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon, as well as other materials that may appears in conjunction with Church Musician Sunday.
  • Recognize on October 4 all those who serve in the various roles involved in Church music:
      • choir directors

    • singers, chanters, & readers,
    • composers & arrangers of church music,
    • bell-ringers
    • hymnographers & hymnologists
    • liturgical translators
  • Include those involved in the parish musical ministry in the Augmented Litany and in the singing of Many Years at the end of the Sunday Liturgy.
  • Reflect before and after Orthodox Musician Sunday on ways the parish community might nurture and encourage the gifts required to lead and execute the duties of church musicians including by offering proper remuneration for trained choir directors and robust funding for choir directing formation.
  • Revisit the many resources produced by our Department of Liturgical Music, which include not only training classes for both directors and singers and readers, but also a wealth of resources to support the role of liturgical music through providing texts, rubrics, musical notes, and more – free of charge.

In order to prepare bulletins and build energy for the marking of Church Musician Sunday, graphics are available for download that are suitable for printing and posting online. Parishes are encouraged to use them in their local publications and online.

You can support the ongoing projects of the Departments of the OCA by considering a gift to the Stewards of the OCA. Your financial support is crucial to the success of these endeavors!

For questions about the work of the Departments, contact Archpriest Justin Patterson jpatterson@oca.org.