Introducing the St. Romanos Church Music Festival!

The National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians is launching a new project, the St Romanos Church Music Festival. Modeled on the Oratorical Festival, this will be an opportunity for our young people to learn the hymns of the church and to prepare to take their places as the next generation of church musicians that will lead and support the prayers of God's people for the rest of this century!

For questions on how your parish youth can participate, please contact Dawn Helene, St Romanos Church Music Festival Chairperson for the Archdiocesan District:

nyjorvik@gmail.com

Guidelines for Parish Chairpersons

You are responsible for publicizing and hosting your individual parish-level event. Please encourage the youth of your parish to participate, and to aspire to sing at the Archdiocesan District level. Let them know that the Holy Spirit blesses each person with spiritual talents, and that they honor God by witnessing to their faith through sacred music. Give them support in their preparations and offer constructive help as the need and opportunity arises. You may consider awards and incentives as your parish deems appropriate.

You are responsible for completing a registration form on behalf of your top-scoring participant, and for submitting it by the required deadline. The form and deadline will be sent to each parish with instructions for submission. If the top-scoring participant is unavailable on the date of the Archdiocesan District event, please send the participant with the next-highest score.

Please arrange with your parish priest to honor the participants in your parish-level event. As all the approved hymns are in regular use during the divine liturgy, we suggest that you have at least your top-scoring participant (and possibly additional participants, at your priest’s discretion) offer their chosen hymn during a liturgy at your church.

Please consider inviting judges from outside your own parish, for maximum objectivity. Also think about including a chanter on the judging panel.