http://www.mospat.ru/ru/2012/11/25/news76409/
....
D. Kogan: .... What do you think, is it necessary to influence the youth so that they would attend churches, so that they would go to concert halls, to theatres, museums, or should this process be a matter of personal choice for each person, a sum of his own ideas and understanding of the world?
Metropolitan Hilarion: Looking at us from the sidelines, a few people think that the Church is preoccupied with attracting young people because it wants to increase its numbers, and that a musician worries about the hall being full so that there would be income from ticket sales. But I am convinced that our main motivation is to share with people that which we were fortunate enough to obtain in this life, that which we were imparted. We will take your example. You are a third generation musician. Your grandfather is the great violinist Leonid Kogan. I listened to him as a young boy. His name was known to everyone in our country. Today you are fulfilling that very same mission, you are continuing the work of your father, your grandfather, you are sharing with people that which you obtained from them and that which you received yourself in the process of your formation. You, of course, want to convey this to the largest number of people as possible. You do this because the music which you perform and which you translate for people bears positive news. The task we are fulfilling is similar to a great degree. We share with people that which we possess ourselves. We tell people what is the meaning of life, but not because we want to impose something, but because we ourselves have come to this –through our parents, through our spiritual formation, mostly through our own life experience. Sometimes people ask us: “And how will you prove the existence of God?” We in no way can prove it. We can only refer to the experience of our own personal life. Life has taught me that there is a God. Thousands of times I have been convinced of the fact that God helps me. I can tell this to other people: whoever wants will believe, whoever does not want to will not believe.
....
Metropolitan Hilarion: According to the teaching of the Church, God created man in His image and likeness. And this image of God in man is expressed, among other things, through the creative act: when the Lord sent Adam to paradise, He said: “Here is paradise for you, so that you would cultivate it” (Cf. Genesis 2:15). All was already accomplished there, all was prepared, but man needed to be the creator. He comes into this world not simply to pass some kind of segment of time and leave, - he comes in order to bring something into this world. I think the absolute significance of creative achievements is found in this. And the general task of people of the Church and people of culture is to propagandize the legacy of great composers, artists, thinkers, writers, poets, to attract to this legacy the maximum number of people.
....
Metropolitan Hilarion: .... For me, music is one of the forms of preaching. I think that a priest should use all available means to preach. If he finished art school and loves to draw, it means he can in addition to his usual service, in addition to the sermons he preaches at church services, use these talents. A priest, and every Christian, can preach by all means available to him and in all languages in which he is fluent. Music is a language, moreover a very powerful language, very strong, and with the help of this language you can convey that which in words you will never convey. You can convey to the listeners the energetic charge you have if, when you write music, you put yourself wholly into it. I invested in that music not only my heart and soul, but also, of course, my experience of the Church. The idea included relaying the atmosphere of the church, the atmosphere of the church services of Passion Week to the stage of the concert hall, to give to people who do not go to church regularly the possibility of feeling that atmosphere, to become familiar with it, to give to churchly people who regularly attend church, but, perhaps, do not know very well the services of Passion Week, the possibility of experiencing at a new level these texts and most importantly – to experience the story of the Passions of Christ.
D. Kogan: So it is possible to say that the educational aspect is clearly evident here?
Metropolitan Hilarion: The educational aspect is a missionary aspect. All my life is devoted to bringing people to Christ, His teaching and His image. And I am glad if through the aid of musical art I manage to bring this image to people.
......
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Да ісправится молитва моя...
An excerpt from an article in honor of the ten-year anniversary of the death of Anton Chekhov in “The Work of the Choir and Director”, 1914, No. 9:
http://kliros.org/content/view/43/4/.
Pavel Egorovich is the father of Chekhov. He was a choir director, and attempted to drag his boys - including Anton, who did not care to sing - into church singing....
"...Finally the desired day came. Pavel Egorovich found out that services would be offered for a while again in the Taganrog palace - where Emperor Alexander the Blessed had lived for some time and died. Both the palace and the church had stood on the grounds of a castle and no services had taken place for years. But now, here in the palace church, services were to begin again. Pavel Egorovich was encouraged to sing with his choir. He expected that it would all unfold in new way, with the elite of the city attending the palace church. He would celebrate a sort of victory … The former choir of Pavel Egorovich was resurrected and serious work was undertaken by the singers. The choir began to sing from the start of Passion Week. But few of the local elite came as Pavel Egorovich had expected: the old-lady-benefactor, two or three important figures from the circuit court with their wives, some kind of colonel, an elderly woman from the Smolny Institute, the mayor, and that is all … But Pavel Egorovich was buoyant. He assumed a dignified air, straightened his tie, smoothed his beard, and peering out at the choir with a strict stare said quietly:
“Attention, sirs…”
The most important moment for him arrived at the moment for stepping out to the center of the church to begin “Let my prayer arise…”. He made a sign with his hand to the children, who had turned pale, and he set out with them to the middle of the church.
“Tra-ta-ti-ta-tom,” Pavel Egovorich gave the pitch, bringing the tuning fork to his ear.
The gymnasium students coughed and froze, the director moved his hand, lifted it, and whispered:
“Begin... Let my…”
Not a sound from the gymnasium students! An awful pause ensued. Pavel Egorovich again gave the tone:
“Tra-ta-ti-ta-tom. Hm… Let my…”
“Let my prayer,” Sasha begins without any confidence and looks at his brothers.
But the brothers were mute. Kolya was completely dumbstruck. Antosha opened his mouth but was unable to make a sound. Sasha becomes timid, stops suddenly and remains silent. Pavel Egorovich blushes and continues on:
“Let my prayer…”
The children were completely at a loss, but the father urges them on from behind. Sasha begins to join in singing. After him Kolya and Antosha begin haphazardly. But Antosha - due to a lack of pitch - in no way can get to the tone. All three of them feel that they will simply die, but Pavel Egorovich bravely holds his own part and little by little carries the children along with him. The matter haphazardly adjusts itself and the students almost take heart, but their voices waver and each second teeters on the brink of ruin.
The two verses are completed. There only remains to sing again “Let my prayer…” - not standing, but kneeling – and the matter is finished. Pavel Egorovich in a whisper indicates to the children to go down on their knees and he himself kneels. Sasha and Kolya obey unquestioningly, but Antosha becomes confused and stalls. Father gestures to him and he – red in the face – falls down, but he cannot sing. From behind, in the congregation, a restrained laughter is heard and tears begin to run down Antosha’s cheeks. From his face it is clear that he is suffering. Pavel Egorovich is perplexed and then, looking at the feet of his son, is confused himself. Terribly worn out soles gape from Anton’s boots and worn out stockings and a dirty, naked toe are visible from two enormous holes.
Scandal! Even Pavel Egorovich never envisioned such unhappiness! It is true that Antosha two weeks ago had announced that his boots were in serious “need of repair,” but his father did not pay the necessary attention then. Who would have been able to foretell such a misfortune?
The singing stops haphazardly with great confusion. Pavel Egorovich leads the children away and returns to his place as director and begins to lead the choir.
The situation is not a happy one, and there is no one to blame, and the matter cannot be rectified. Instead of his victory – defeat…"
- translated RM; revised AM
http://kliros.org/content/view/43/4/.
Pavel Egorovich is the father of Chekhov. He was a choir director, and attempted to drag his boys - including Anton, who did not care to sing - into church singing....
"...Finally the desired day came. Pavel Egorovich found out that services would be offered for a while again in the Taganrog palace - where Emperor Alexander the Blessed had lived for some time and died. Both the palace and the church had stood on the grounds of a castle and no services had taken place for years. But now, here in the palace church, services were to begin again. Pavel Egorovich was encouraged to sing with his choir. He expected that it would all unfold in new way, with the elite of the city attending the palace church. He would celebrate a sort of victory … The former choir of Pavel Egorovich was resurrected and serious work was undertaken by the singers. The choir began to sing from the start of Passion Week. But few of the local elite came as Pavel Egorovich had expected: the old-lady-benefactor, two or three important figures from the circuit court with their wives, some kind of colonel, an elderly woman from the Smolny Institute, the mayor, and that is all … But Pavel Egorovich was buoyant. He assumed a dignified air, straightened his tie, smoothed his beard, and peering out at the choir with a strict stare said quietly:
“Attention, sirs…”
The most important moment for him arrived at the moment for stepping out to the center of the church to begin “Let my prayer arise…”. He made a sign with his hand to the children, who had turned pale, and he set out with them to the middle of the church.
“Tra-ta-ti-ta-tom,” Pavel Egovorich gave the pitch, bringing the tuning fork to his ear.
The gymnasium students coughed and froze, the director moved his hand, lifted it, and whispered:
“Begin... Let my…”
Not a sound from the gymnasium students! An awful pause ensued. Pavel Egorovich again gave the tone:
“Tra-ta-ti-ta-tom. Hm… Let my…”
“Let my prayer,” Sasha begins without any confidence and looks at his brothers.
But the brothers were mute. Kolya was completely dumbstruck. Antosha opened his mouth but was unable to make a sound. Sasha becomes timid, stops suddenly and remains silent. Pavel Egorovich blushes and continues on:
“Let my prayer…”
The children were completely at a loss, but the father urges them on from behind. Sasha begins to join in singing. After him Kolya and Antosha begin haphazardly. But Antosha - due to a lack of pitch - in no way can get to the tone. All three of them feel that they will simply die, but Pavel Egorovich bravely holds his own part and little by little carries the children along with him. The matter haphazardly adjusts itself and the students almost take heart, but their voices waver and each second teeters on the brink of ruin.
The two verses are completed. There only remains to sing again “Let my prayer…” - not standing, but kneeling – and the matter is finished. Pavel Egorovich in a whisper indicates to the children to go down on their knees and he himself kneels. Sasha and Kolya obey unquestioningly, but Antosha becomes confused and stalls. Father gestures to him and he – red in the face – falls down, but he cannot sing. From behind, in the congregation, a restrained laughter is heard and tears begin to run down Antosha’s cheeks. From his face it is clear that he is suffering. Pavel Egorovich is perplexed and then, looking at the feet of his son, is confused himself. Terribly worn out soles gape from Anton’s boots and worn out stockings and a dirty, naked toe are visible from two enormous holes.
Scandal! Even Pavel Egorovich never envisioned such unhappiness! It is true that Antosha two weeks ago had announced that his boots were in serious “need of repair,” but his father did not pay the necessary attention then. Who would have been able to foretell such a misfortune?
The singing stops haphazardly with great confusion. Pavel Egorovich leads the children away and returns to his place as director and begins to lead the choir.
The situation is not a happy one, and there is no one to blame, and the matter cannot be rectified. Instead of his victory – defeat…"
- translated RM; revised AM
Saturday, November 10, 2012
such a nose!
Valvert: Ahem - your nose - is -very -very - big.
Cyrano: It is indeed.
Valvert: (laughs nervously) Ha! Ha!
Cyrano: And is that all?
Valvert: (perplexed) Why, what -
Cyrano: Too short, young man. You might have said many sharp things by varying the tone. You might have put it some such way as this:
Aggressive: Sir, if I had such a nose I'd cut it off to please, not spite, my face.
Friendly: A nose like that must dip so deep a special goblet should be shaped for it.
Descriptive: 'Tis a rock! A peak! A cape! Did I say "cape"? 'Tis a peninsula!
Inquisitive: Is it an oblong box for pen and ink? Is it a scissors-case?
Gracious: I see you love the little birds and offer them this perch for tired feet.
Belligerent: Sir, when you light your pipe, and smoke blows through your nose, the neighbors cry "Look out! Another chimney is on fire!"
Kindly: With such a burden on your head, take care you do not topple to the ground.
Considerate: Have an umbrella made to keep its hues from fading in the sun.
Pedantic: Monsieur, Aristophanes' Hippocamp-elephanto-camelos, that fabled beast, could not have borne so much great bone and heavy flesh upon his head.
Flippant: The latest vogue, I have no doubt; clever and fashionable and useful, too: a perfect hook on which to hang a hat.
Rhetorical: No spiteful wind that blows makes you catch cold, O magisterial nose!
Dramatic: When it bleeds, 'tis the Red Sea! And what a sign for perfumery!
Lyric: Is this the ocean shell, the wreathed horn, that Triton blew when the old gods were young?
Innocent: Tell me, when do they unveil the monument? And may we visit it?
Respectful: My congratulations, sir, that thing's a house - with a tremendous view!
Rustic: Don't tell me that's a nose. I know a melon or a giant cucumber when I see one - and sure I see one now.
Militaristic: Load that gun of yours, and aim it point-blank against cavalry.
Practical: Entered into a lottery fifty to one it's sure to take first prize....
-Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac
Cyrano: It is indeed.
Valvert: (laughs nervously) Ha! Ha!
Cyrano: And is that all?
Valvert: (perplexed) Why, what -
Cyrano: Too short, young man. You might have said many sharp things by varying the tone. You might have put it some such way as this:
Aggressive: Sir, if I had such a nose I'd cut it off to please, not spite, my face.
Friendly: A nose like that must dip so deep a special goblet should be shaped for it.
Descriptive: 'Tis a rock! A peak! A cape! Did I say "cape"? 'Tis a peninsula!
Inquisitive: Is it an oblong box for pen and ink? Is it a scissors-case?
Gracious: I see you love the little birds and offer them this perch for tired feet.
Belligerent: Sir, when you light your pipe, and smoke blows through your nose, the neighbors cry "Look out! Another chimney is on fire!"
Kindly: With such a burden on your head, take care you do not topple to the ground.
Considerate: Have an umbrella made to keep its hues from fading in the sun.
Pedantic: Monsieur, Aristophanes' Hippocamp-elephanto-camelos, that fabled beast, could not have borne so much great bone and heavy flesh upon his head.
Flippant: The latest vogue, I have no doubt; clever and fashionable and useful, too: a perfect hook on which to hang a hat.
Rhetorical: No spiteful wind that blows makes you catch cold, O magisterial nose!
Dramatic: When it bleeds, 'tis the Red Sea! And what a sign for perfumery!
Lyric: Is this the ocean shell, the wreathed horn, that Triton blew when the old gods were young?
Innocent: Tell me, when do they unveil the monument? And may we visit it?
Respectful: My congratulations, sir, that thing's a house - with a tremendous view!
Rustic: Don't tell me that's a nose. I know a melon or a giant cucumber when I see one - and sure I see one now.
Militaristic: Load that gun of yours, and aim it point-blank against cavalry.
Practical: Entered into a lottery fifty to one it's sure to take first prize....
-Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
dedicated to you
... it would be well to bear in mind that the cemeteries are full of men this world could not get along without.....
- Abilene (Oklahoma) Reporter, 1909
- Abilene (Oklahoma) Reporter, 1909
Monday, November 5, 2012
We would rather be ruined than changed
We would rather be ruined than changed
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the cross of the moment
And let our illusions die.
(W.H. Auden, “Epilogue.” The Age of Anxiety, 1948)
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the cross of the moment
And let our illusions die.
(W.H. Auden, “Epilogue.” The Age of Anxiety, 1948)
Sunday, November 4, 2012
raining spiritually
He’s the most difficult convert I have ever met. He doesn’t seem to
have the least intellectual curiosity or natural piety. I asked him if
Our Lord had more than one nature. He said, “Just as many as you say,
Father” I said, “Suppose the Pope looked up and said it was going to
rain would that be bound to happen?” “Oh yes, Father” “But supposing
it didn’t rain?” “He said, “I suppose it would be sort of raining
spiritually, only we were too sinful to see it."
- Fr Mowbray on instructing Rex Motram in Brideshead Revisited.
- Fr Mowbray on instructing Rex Motram in Brideshead Revisited.
It is not right
Saint Basil the Great once defrocked a priest because he committed adultery. After many years, this priest was at a funeral. He approached the casket and touched the dead man and the dead man rose. He went to Basil and said to him, “Do you need a greater sign than this of the holiness that I have acquired in order to send me back to my flock?” Basil replied, “Your holiness is between you and God, but I cannot return you to your flock because you scandalized them. It is not right for you to go to them again.”
Who will give us the like of Basil the Great so that we feel that the group we are a part of is truly the Church of Christ?
- Metropolitan Georges Khodr
http://araborthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/10/georges-khodr-on-corrupt-bishops.html
Who will give us the like of Basil the Great so that we feel that the group we are a part of is truly the Church of Christ?
- Metropolitan Georges Khodr
http://araborthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/10/georges-khodr-on-corrupt-bishops.html
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