Terminology -

OBIKHOD – One of the liturgical chant books of the Russian Orthodox Church, which developed in the second half of the 15th-early 16th centuries, and which contains the hymns of the Ordinary for Vespers, Matins, and Divine Liturgy, as well as the main hymns of the Proper from the Octoechos, Heirmologion, and Festal Menaion. The… Read More

OIKOS– (Ikos) – A specially constructed stanza, in honor of a particular feast, which is sung, together with the kontakion, after the 6th ode of the kanon. The oikos develops the ideas expressed in the kontakion and, as a rule, concludes with the same words as the kontakion. Like the Kontakion, it is a condensed… Read More

PARTESNY SINGING – (Partesny Polyphony) A style of polyphonic singing, based on the Western European system of harmony and counterpoint, which arose in the early 17th c. in the Ukraine and in the mid-17th c. spread to Muscovite Russia. The leading theoretician and composer of that period, Nikolai Diletsky, distinguished two types of polyphony in… Read More

PASCHAL MIDNIGHT SERVICE – The complex of offices served on the first day of the Holy Pascha (Resurrection). The service is preceded by the Paschal Nocturns, after which, at midnight, the Paschal procession of the Cross takes place; this is followed by Paschal Matins, Paschal Hours, and the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

POLYELEION – A hymn performed at Matins comprised of verses of Psalm 134 (135) and 135 (136) with the refrain “Alleluia.” The term is derived from the Greek words poly” — many and eleo” — mercy, in view of the multifold repetition of the phrase “for His mercy endures forever.” During the singing of the… Read More

POPEVKA – (pl. Popevki)? Consistent melodic turns or formulae in early Russian church singing, which serve as the building blocks for melodies of znamenny and other chants. POPEVKA are classified according to Tones; each Tone is distinguished by POPEVKA that occur in it more frequently than in other Tones; some Tones have more p. than… Read More

POST-FEAST – (Afterfeast) – A period of one to seven days (in case of the Pasch — 40 days) following a greatfeast, which in some respects constitutes a continuation of the feast. During the Post-feast certain festal hymns continue to be sung.   See Afterfeast for dates. 

AFTERFEAST – An afterfeast (also known as postfeast ) is a period of time following certain major feasts of the Christian year during which the feast continues to be celebrated. The liturgical life of the Church reflects this extended celebration by continuing to express the themes of the feast in the divine services celebrated during… Read More

FOREFEAST – A forefeast (also known as prefeast) is a period of time preceding certain major feasts of the Christian year during which the Church anticipates the approaching festival. The liturgical life of the Church reflects this anticipation by foreshadowing the feast in the divine services celebrated during the forefeast.  Most commemorations that have a… Read More

Prayer Service – (Moleben) A service offered in response to a individual need or special occasion, e. g., illness, thanksgiving, the beginning of some task. The structure of the Prayer Service. resembles Matins: essentially, it consists of the Trisagion, troparia, a Gospel reading, special prayers and litanies, and a kanon (usually in abridged form). Sometimes… Read More

PRE-FEAST – (forefeast) A period of one or several days prior to a great feast, which serves as a preparation for the celebration; during the pre-feast special hymns and prayers are prescribed. See forefeast for dates.

PROCESSION OF THE CROSS – A solemn procession of clergy and laity, at the head of which is carried the Holy Cross, banners, icons, etc.? The Procession of the Cross always occur at the end of the Matins of Holy Saturday (the “Burial of Christ”) and on the Holy Pascha (Resurrection) at the beginning of… Read More

PSALM – An ancient Hebraic hymn that has, in various instances, a doxological, penitential, didactic, or messianic content. In many respects, psalms served as models for the composition of new Christian hymns, and also came to be incorporated as important elements into all forms of the Christian liturgy. Following Hebraic antecedents, the Christians developed various… Read More

PSALMS OF TYPIKA – (Typical Psalms)   Psalms 102 (103) and 145 (146), which, together with the Beatitudes, constitute the first part of Typika, a brief service of monastic origin. In current Russian practice Typika is served before the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts, and the Psalms of Typika and the Beatitudes are the first, second,… Read More

Sacred Concerto – A piece of sacred music composed on a text that may be liturgical or non-liturgical (e. g., from the Psalms), which was sung after the Communion Hymn during the communion of the clergy at the Divine Liturgy. Sometimes hymns from other services, e. g., the All-Night Vigil, are sung as Sacred Concertos.

SIX PSALMS – (Hexapsalmos) The suite of six psalms read at the start of Matins: Psalms 3, 37 (38), 62 (63), 87 (88), 102 (103), and 142 (143).  Matins begins with the reading of the “Six Psalms,” i.e. Psalms 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, and 142, read in that order, and combined into a single… Read More

Square Notation (Square-Note Notation, Square Notes)? A five-line staff notation that replaced medieval neumatic notation in Russian church singing of the the second half of the 17th c. In its essential details, Square Notes resembles the staff notation used in Western European sacred and secular music of the 16th-17th c. In the Russian Church, Square… Read More

STAVROTHEOTOKION – A type of sticheron in which the Mother of God is described standing before the Cross and lamenting the suffering of Jesus Christ. They are typically found in the Octoechos in the hymnography for Wednesdays and Fridays.

Sticherarion  (pl., STICHERA)– a liturgical chant book of the Orthodox Church, which contains stichera and other hymns of the Proper from the yearly cycle. Sticherarion varied in content: some contained only stichera of the twelve major feasts, others — stichera from the Lenten and Festal Triodia, the Octoechos, or the Menaia. In time, the contents… Read More

STOCHNY SINGING? – A type of polyphonic singing that developed in the Russian Orthodox Church in the 16th and 17th centuries. The polyphonic texture in Strochny Singing is formed by the addition of a vocal line either above the basic chant, or below it, but most frequently, both above and below, forming a 3-voiced texture;… Read More

Znamenny Chant – One of the basic types of liturgical chant in the Russian Church from the time of its founding. Initially Znamenny Chant was monophonic, performed in unison; beginning with the mid-16th c. there is evidence for polyphonic performance of Znamenny Chant, although only one voice continued to be notated in the MSS. The… Read More

ZNAMENNY NOTATION – (Stolp Notation, Neumatic Notation)  One of the basic chant notations used in the Russian Orthodox Church from the time of its origins. While in its initial form it was borrowed from Byzantium, Znamenny Notation underwent an evolutionary process in Ancient Rus’, and towards the 15th-16th centuries lost its connection with Byzantine notations…. Read More

PETITION – The most widespread form of prayer is petition, offered in acknowledgment of our weaknesses, infirmities, and lack of experience. Because of sins and passions, our souls become weak and sick. Therefore, it is essential in prayer to ask God to forgive us and help us to overcome our faults. Sometimes requests are made… Read More

ABBESS – (from masc. abbot; Gr. Hegoumeni). The female superior of a community of nuns appointed by a bishop; Mother Superior. She has general authority over her community and nunnery under the supervision of a bishop.