CANADIAN DIOCESE: October 10, 2012
Holy Trinity Cathedral in Toronto Hosts the XXII All-Diaspora Church Music Conference

On October 3-7, 2012, the XXII All-Diaspora Church Music Conference was held in Toronto, Canada. Guests from Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and Sergiev Posad took part in the work of the forum that gathered 75 choir directors and singers from the church choirs of Russian diaspora. The conference was organized by the Church Music Committee at the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia.

Achievements in church singing and the problems faced by church choirs during the last 20 years were the main theme of the meeting. Presentations were read by Priest Mikhail Asmus, staff member of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate; MI Vashchenko, choir director of Prince Vladimir Cathedral in St Petersburg; EN Sadikova, long-time assistant to the late Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl), choir director of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius’ Lavra, and others.

VA Gorbik, choir director of the Moscow Representation of the Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavra gave master classes for conductors and singers.

The conference culminated with Divine Liturgy at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Toronto on October 7. Liturgy was headed by His Eminence Archbishop Gabriel of Montreal and Canada of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. His Grace Bishop Job of Kashir, Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchate Parishes in Canada and His Grace Bishop Irenei of Quebec (Orthodox Church in America), Protopriest Vladimir Malchenko, Rector of the cathedral and other clergy conference participants concelebrated.

In the course of the All-Diaspora Music Conference work, a composite choir prepared and sang the compositions of His Eminence Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk; His Eminence Archbishop Ionafan; Archimandrite Matthew (Mormyl); Deacon Sergei Trubachev: B Theoktistov; Nun Julianna (Denisova); K. Sander; Boris Ledkovsky; Mikhail Konstantinov; Nicolas Schidlovsky; G. Lapaev; K. Mironov; S. Tolsokulakov, as well as the chants of the Kiev Caves and Holy Trinity-St Sergius Lavras.

The Synodal Church Music Committee was formed in 1959 by decision of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Archbishop Laurus of Syracuse and Holy Trinity (later First Hierarch of ROCOR) headed it from 1988 to 2002. Currently, the head of the committee is Protopriest Andre Papkov, clergyman of the Chicago diocese.

All-diaspora music conferences have been held from 1987 as a continuation of a pre-Revolutionary tradition.

Communication service of the DECR/Patriarchia.ru