His Holiness Patriarch Kirill meets with participants in the 1st International Conference of choir conductors and singers of the Russian Orthodox Church
On 1 December 2016, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia met with the participants in the 1st International Conference of choir conductors and singers of the Russian Orthodox Church. The meeting took part at the Hall of Church Council of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.
The conference, which takes place at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour from November 30 to December 2 with the blessing of the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, is guided by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations and rector of the Ss Cyril and Methodius Theological Institute of Post-Graduate Studies; Archbishop Amvrosy of Petergof, rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy; Archpriest Alexander Ageikin, rector of the Moscow Cathedral of the Epiphany; Hegumen Petr (Yeremeyev), rector of the Russian Orthodox University and abbot of the Vysokopetrovsky stavropegic monastery who acts as chairman of the Conference’s organizing committee.
Taking part in the Conference are 198 official delegates from 17 countries who represent dioceses, monasteries, theological educational institutions and the Moscow Patriarchate’s parishes abroad and 250 choir conductors and singers from Moscow and Moscow region as guests who participate in the discussions; some 500 people in total. It is for the first time since 1917 as the problems of preserving the centuries-old traditions of the Russian church singing as an integral part of Orthodox divine services are being discussed at such a representative assembly.
Hegumen Petr addressed the participants at the beginning of the session in which His Holiness the Patriarch took part.
The Primate of the Russian Church delivered his primatial speech and presented certificates to the participants who have devoted years of his life to preserving the traditions of church singing and its development.
Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk delivered report on ‘Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and the current problems of church singing.”
On behalf of the participants Hegumen Petr thanked His Holiness Patriarch Kirill for his presence and address which contained answers to certain issues discussed by the participants on the first day of the conference, for instance, the standards of education and musical education in Sunday schools and lyceums.
According to Hegumen Petr, Patriarch Kirill also touched upon issues due to be discussed today, such as the repertoire of contemporary choirs and modern compositions.
In conclusion of the meeting Hegumen Petr and participants in the conference congratulated His Holiness on his 70th birthday.