National Church Music Sunday

Church Music Sunday PosterEach year, on the first Sunday in October (on or after the Feast of St. Romanos the Melodist, the patron saint of church musicians), parishes across the Archdiocese of America celebrate NATIONAL CHURCH MUSIC SUNDAY. This commemoration was inaugurated by His Eminence, Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America in 1982, and has been re-affirmed by His Eminence, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America.

NATIONAL CHURCH MUSIC SUNDAY is a day we set aside particularly to honor the contributions of local choir members, psaltai, and music educators who serve their churches through the hymnology of our Orthodox Church. In addition, it is a day when we recognize the work of the diocesan choir federations as well as the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians, who through their music ministry, strive to enhance the development of church choirs, church musicians, and liturgical music at diocesan and archdiocesan levels.

To these ends, the National Forum of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians encourages local parishes to use NATIONAL CHURCH MUSIC SUNDAY to recognize the contributions of church musicians at three levels each year:

  • To honor your LOCAL CHURCH MUSICIANS: your choir director and choir members, your chanters, and other church musicians for their service to the parish;
  • To reaffirm your support of your METROPOLIS CHOIR FEDERATION and participate in its activities; and
  • To support your national church ministry, the work of the NATIONAL FORUM OF GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH MUSICIANS by becoming a Steward of the National Forum and making a contribution to its Annual Church Music Fund Drive held during October.

The National Forum has resources and materials available to assist local parishes and choirs in developing appropriate programs for NATIONAL CHURCH MUSIC SUNDAY. Further information is available by contacting the National Chairman and/or the President of your Metropolis Choir Federation.