Terminology -

FESTAL HYMN TO THE THEOTOKOS – (Zadostoynik) – A hymn in honor of the Theotokos sung at the Divine Liturgy in place of “It is truly” on the twelve great feasts and certain other feasts. Usually the ninth heirmos of the festal kanon is used for this purpose. The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great… Read More

FESTAL TRIODION – (Pentecostarion) – One of the basic liturgical books of the Orthodox Church, which contains the hymns and prayers for the period from the Holy Pasch (Resurrection) through the Sunday of All Saints (the first Sunday after Pentecost). There are two types of Festal Triodion: a reader’s version, which contains only texts, and… Read More

FUNERAL SERVICE – A service for the burial of the departed, which essentially consists of the Memorial Service with the addition of a Gospel reading, special stichera on the Beatitudes and certain other stichera.

GREAT ENTRANCE – the solemn procession during the singing of the Cherubic Hymn at Divine Liturgy, in which the bread and wine are transferred from the Table of Preparation to the Holy Table. (see Cherubic Hymn)

GREAT ZNAMENNY CHANT – One of the varieties of znamenny chant which is characterized by richness of melodic content and an abundance of melismas. In the system of Russian church musical aesthetics, melodies of Great Znamenny Chant were used primarily at particularly solemn moments of the liturgy and on feast days. (see also little znamenny… Read More

GREEK CHANT – One of the liturgical chants of the Russian Orthodox Church, which became known in Muscovite Russia in the mid-17th c. The melodies of Greek Chant are characterized by syllabic structure, symmetry of rhythm and phrase construction, a strong tonal center, and the exact repetition of melodic phrases. The exact relationship of Russian… Read More

HEIRMOLOGION – (Irmologion) – One of the basic liturgical books of the Orthodox Church, which contains the heirmoi for the entire year. There are two types of Heirmologion : a reader’s version, which contains only texts, and a singer’s version, in which the texts are supplied with musical notation. In the western Ukrainian and Byelorussian… Read More

HEIRMOS – (Irmos pl. Heirmoi, Irmosi) – A hymn that stands as the first troparion in each ode of a kanon and serves as a thematic link between the Scriptural canticles and the feast being celebrated. In the Greek originals, the h. established the melodic and metric model used in subsequent stanzas of each ode.

HYMN – (1) In a general sense, any poetic song performed in the context of the liturgy; hymns may offer praise or prayer to God, or may express dogmas and moral precepts, as well as describe and reflect upon historical and liturgical events. (2) Specific doxological or devotional songs, e. g., the Thrice-Holy Hymn “Holy… Read More

HYMNS OF THE ORDINARY – Hymns that do not change depending on the occasion being celebrated and thus constitute the fixed format of a given service (see All-Night Vigil, Divine Liturgy)

HYMNS OF THE PROPER – Hymns that change depending on the day of the week or day of the year, i. e., troparia, kontakia, hypakoe, stichera, gradual antiphons, kathisma hymns, kanons, exapostilaria, prokeimena, and others. In the practice of the Russian Church, Hymns of the Proper are for the most part performed “according to the… Read More

IDIOMELON –(samoglasen) A hymn that is not patterned on any other hymn in terms of either meter, content, or melody.  It never serves as a model for other stichera.

INTRODUCTORY PSALM – Psalm 103 (104), “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” which begins Vespers and, thereby, the liturgical cycle of each new day

KANT – (pl. kanty or kanti) – A type of polyphonic extra-liturgical song, which was widespread in Russia, the Ukraine, and Byelorussia in the 17th-18th centuries. Originally kant were composed on religious texts (sacred or spiritual k.); in the 18th c., the subject matter came to include patriotic, everyday, and romantic themes. In musical terms,… Read More

KIEVAN CHANT – One of the liturgical chants of the Russian Orthodox Church, which first developed in the southwestern region of Rus’ as a variant of znamenny chant, and then spread to Muscovite Russia in the 17th c. Melodies of K. c. tend to be shorter and simpler rhythmically than znamenny melodies; distinctions between recitative-like… Read More

KLIROS – (also krilos) (pl. klirosi) (1) special areas, usually elevated, to the right and left sides of the iconostasis, where singers stand during the liturgy; (2) an ensemble of singers on the kliros (see choir)

KONDAKARIAN NOTATION – One of the oldest types of musical notation in Kievan Rus’, imported from Byzantium at the time Christianity was received. KONDAKARIAN NOTATION is found in collections of kontakia, known as Kondakari, from which it derives its name. KONDAKARIAN NOTATION is ideographic by nature, and consists of two rows of neumes above the… Read More

KONDAKARIAN SINGING – One of the types of liturgical singing that arose in Kievan Rus’ following Byzantine models. Kondakarian Singing was by nature quite melismatic and was performed in solo fashion by virtuoso singers, while the congregation sang refrains. It was used to perform kontakia, Communion Hymns, and select verses from the Psalms. Kondakarian Singing… Read More

LEAVE-TAKING OF A FEAST – (Apodosis) The last day of the post-feast, on which the Typikon sometimes prescribes serving essentially the same service as on the first day of the feast.   St. Demetrios (October 26)—leavetaking: October 27 Nativity of the Forerunner (June 24)—leavetaking: June 25 Ss. Peter and Paul (June 29)—leavetaking: June 30 Beheading… Read More

LENTEN TRIODION – One of the basic liturgical books of the Orthodox Church, which contains hymns and prayers proper to the period of Lent and Passion Week; the Lenten Triodion begins with the fourth Sunday before Lent — the “Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee” — and concludes with Holy Saturday. There are two… Read More

LITTLE ENTRANCE – A procession with the Gospel book during the first part of the Divine Liturgy, which begins during the third antiphon and concludes during the entrance hymn “Come, let us worship”

LITTLE ZNAMENNY CHANT – One of the varieties of znamenny chant, characterized by brevity of melodic development and prevalence of recitative (see also great znamenny chant)

MEMORIAL SERVICE – (Panikhida, Parastas)  A service commemorating the departed, which consists essentially of the Trisagion, troparia, and a kanon (usually in abridged form), as well as special prayers and litanies; structurally, it resembles the Matins service.

NEUMATIC NOTATION – A general term used with reference to staffless musical notations (in Russia — the znamenny, demestvenny, and put’), which were used to notate hymns by means of special ideographic signs (neumes), written above the verbal text.