Corner of Court and Lee Streets
P. O. BOX 2044
CHARLESTON, WV 25327-2044
PHONE (304) 346-0106

THE VERY REV. OLOF H. SCOTT
PASTOR'S STUDY
PHONE (304) 346-0146

Question first appeared on May 15, 2005
When a majority of the congregation speaks English, why do we still chant in Arabic?  How much of the service is fully understood?  Could we not at least have one Sunday a month when we chant in English?

We still chant in Arabic because it is the current language of our Mother Church , the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East.  It began as an attempt to weaken the Christian Church in 742 AD, when the Caliph issued a decree forbidding the use of Greek and ordering that all liturgical services should be served using only the Arabic language.  It is still done to show our ties to the Mother Church, and we still have parishioners who understand the language.

Having said that, you’ve asked, “How much of the service is fully understood?”  I trust in the Divine Liturgy the answer is 100%, because we provide translations of those few troparia and the kontakion which are chanted in Arabic.  English copies of the Matins service can be obtained from the internet every week such that 100% of that service can be understood.

We would love to add English chanting to our services.  What we need, however, is committed and trained English chanters!  Currently, we have only one trained English chanter, our Subdeacon George Damous, who has committed himself, by training, practicing and attending the chanting workshops provided by our archdiocese.  We also have Fr. Olof Scott, Lexie Damous, and the Department of Sacred Music who can train you vocally, give you experience singing with a choir, and train you in the art of chanting and using the liturgical texts.

If you truly want English chanters, stand up and volunteer!   

©Very Rev. Fr. Olof Scott, Sunday Bulletin, May 15, 2005

Question first appeared on February 11, 2001
I have nothing against the Chanters or the Arabic language, but why can=t we do the Trisagion Prayers in English.  I have been in other churches and the congregation does these both at the church and at the funeral home.  I think it would be more meaningful.

This is something we can do, and I will try to remember to do this more often in the future, especially at the funeral home and at the funeral service.  However, when we insert these memorial prayers into the Divine Liturgy before the dismissal, the Trisagion Prayers are omitted and only the memorial hymns are chanted.

Your question prompts a wider concern, and I=d like to address that alsoBthe need to balance English chanting with the Arabic.  We currently have three Arabic chanters who are working hard to improve their skills in Byzantine chant in order to serve the church.  The only two people in our parish who now chant in English are your priest and subdeacon.  What we need are several committed individuals who will dedicate themselves to become English chanters.  We have many talented people with excellent voices, but they need to Astep up to the plate.@

There are many avenues available today to train chantersBcorrespondence courses, music, tapes, books, etc.  You can study in your own home and send your practice tapes to instructors who will grade you and pass you to the next level.