Archpriest
George Johnson
Arranger, Adapter, Composer
Introductory
Note:
A Church Singer’s
Companion,
published by the St. Romanos the Melodist Society (www.saintromanos.org),
was initiated in 1998, with the blessing of Metropolitan (then
Archbishop) Laurus. Upon
the publication of the 325 page revised Vespers
volume, he said the following:
“….I understand
that the entire “Church Singer’s Companion” is intended to
consist of a five part series of fifteen or more separate volumes
covering the entire range of Orthodox services.
This work will require several years of devoted attention by
you, your matushka, and several other volunteers…. You have my
support and best wishes in this worthy missionary endeavor.
May God give the
increase to that which has been planted by you and those who work
with you for His glory, for which cause I give my Archpastoral
blessing for its continuance and advance.
With love in
Christ,
Archbishop Laurus
February
22, 2000
This
collection of music contains settings of texts associated with
Vespers, Matins, Divine Liturgy and other services of the Russian
Orthodox Church. The
translations are those associated with the Russian Orthodox Church
Outside of Russia (ROCOR). The
principle translators of the extra-scriptural texts are Rassophore-Monk
Lawrence (Campbell) and Reader Isaac Lambertsen.
The Psalm texts come from the Psalter According to the Seventy
from Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Boston, Massachusetts.
The
music, unless otherwise noted, is derived from the Russian Orthodox
chant tradition. The
dominant, but not exclusive, source of the music in this collection is
a 1911 collection from Novgorod called the Sputnik
Psalomschika, roughly translated, the Church
Singer's
Companion. It is this
title that I have associated with a projected comprehensive series of
Church Music, A Church
Singer’s Companion, from which comes most of the music that is
here placed online.
Some
of the music from A Church
Singer’s Companion is available in book form, in particular, Vespers, Pascha, The
Memorial Service, (Pannikhida), and several music conference
service books. The
material for the Matins
volumes of A Church Singers’s
Companion is being made available on this website before
publication in book form. We
hope to publish it in book form also, if God wills.
All
the music is set for four part mixed choir, SATB.
Unless otherwise noted, the melody is always in the top, or
Soprano, line of music. The
form of the setting should not proscribe other possibilities, except
to say that the Bass should always be sung by the lowest voice.
Feel free to contact me to talk about this or any other topic
related to this collection of music.
Archpriest George
Johnson
Holy Apostles Orthodox Church
Beltsville, Maryland
www.holyapostlesorthodoxchurch.org
frgeorgej@aol.com;
301-572-5738
For
more sheet music in English visit:
Eastern
American Diocesan Music Commission
