SINGCON 2018
Participants of SINGCON 2018 St. Josephat’s Cathedral, PARMA OHIO October 7th photo J.Korban
The inaugural and first annual Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Singing Conference (“UGCCSingCon”), for cantors, singers, choir directors, clergy, and all those interested in church singing, was held in Parma, Ohio, from Friday, October 5, to Sunday, October 7, 2018, at Pokrova Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and St. Josaphat Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral. The gathering was organized under the auspices of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission of the UGCC, presided over by His Grace Benedict, Bishop of St. Nicholas Eparchy in Chicago, and hosted by His Grace Bohdan, Bishop of St. Josaphat Eparchy in Parma. The members of the organizing committee included Larisa Cronin (Ottawa), Reader Ilya Galadza (Toronto), Deacon Daniel Galadza (Kyiv), Roman Hurko (New York), Subdeacon Cyril Kennedy (Edmonton/Washington, D.C.), Father Joseph Matlak (North Carolina), and Melita Mudri-Zubacz (California).
PRESS RELEASE UGCC SINGCON 2018
Department of Information of the UGCC
The inaugural and first annual Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Singing Conference (“UGCCSingCon”), for cantors, singers, choir directors, clergy, and all those interested in church singing, was held in Parma, Ohio, from Friday, October 5, to Sunday, October 7, 2018, at Pokrova Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and St. Josaphat Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral. The gathering was organized under the auspices of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission of the UGCC, presided over by His Grace Benedict, Bishop of St. Nicholas Eparchy in Chicago, and hosted by His Grace Bohdan, Bishop of St. Josaphat Eparchy in Parma. The members of the organizing committee included Larisa Cronin (Ottawa), Reader Ilya Galadza (Toronto), Deacon Daniel Galadza (Kyiv), Roman Hurko (New York), Subdeacon Cyril Kennedy (Edmonton/Washington, D.C.), Father Joseph Matlak (North Carolina), and Melita Mudri-Zubacz (California).
The goals of this conference were to advance the state and quality of Church music in the UGCC in the English-speaking world by bringing together cantors and choir directors to meet one another, network, share resources, discuss various issues, and—most importantly—to pray together.
Over one hundred people attended the weekend gathering, representing parishes from every corner of Canada and the United States and almost every Eparchy of the UGCC in North America, with an even age distribution of participants from under 18 to over 60 and all ages in between; the conference also saw a high level of youth participation.
After Vespers, dinner, and an introductory lecture on the theology of church singing, participants continued the first evening with rehearsals and a Town Hall/Armchair session entitled “High Place, Altar, Krylos, Pew: Tell us, what’s your point of view?”, a forum for various perspectives on church singing in the UGCC, from bishops and priests to cantors and lay people. Along with continued services and rehearsals, four workshops were offered on Saturday, October 6: “Conducting and Singing: Vocal and Choral Technique”; “Kids in the Klyros: Integrating Youth in Liturgical Services”; “Introducing Vespers in Your Parish: Tips, Advice, and Tricks of the Trade”; and “Facilitating Group Singing”. Singing at church services was led by various cantors and choir directors.
Bishop Bohdan presided and preached at several of the main services that took place over the weekend: a Panakhyda on Saturday morning at Pokrova Church, where deceased cantors and choir directors were commemorated by name; a Vigil on Saturday evening at Pokrova Church; and a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning at St. Josaphat Cathedral.
A key result of the conference is that the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission will have a better sense of the support, resources, and training that cantors, choirs directors, and singers in the UGCC in North America need to fulfill their vocation.
Information on the schedule and the music, as well as photos and videos from the weekend, can be found on the conference website (www.ugccmusic.com) and on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #UGCCSingCon2018.
The next gathering for 2019 is being planned, taking into consideration participants’ comments, suggestions regarding workshops, and issues of importance for the future of church singing in the UGCC in North America. To get the latest updated information and to be added to the mailing list, send an email to hello[at]ugccmusic.com.
VIDEOS
Vespers Friday October 6th Psalm 103 Vespers on opening night of #ugccsingcon2018
SINGCON 2019
Photo by Julian Hayda
Second Annual Church Singing Conference Gathers
at St. Basil’s Seminary in Stamford, Connecticut
From Thursday, September 26, to Sunday, September 29, 2019, cantors, singers, choir directors, clergy, and all those interested in church singing gathered for the second annual Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Singing Conference, “SingCon,” a weekend of prayer, learning, and fellowship at St. Basil’s Seminary in Stamford, Connecticut. The gathering under the leadership of Deacon Daniel Galadza, and with the support of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission, was organized by a group of American and Canadian cantors, church musicians, and other clergy and laypeople. The weekend's events were hosted by the Eparch of Stamford, Bishop Paul (Chomnycky), and Fr. Bohdan Tymchyshyn, rector of St. Basil’s Seminary.
From parishes in every corner of Canada and the United States—from Vancouver to California, from Florida to Boston—as well as participants from the UK and Germany—over seventy people attended the weekend gathering. Participants included many young adults; college students, young professionals and young married couples with children as well as several Roman Catholic and Orthodox participants. The youthful energy of the gathering facilitated spontaneous sight-reading sessions and dancing (including a kolomyjka) in the evenings, while the presence of Orthodox and Roman Catholics demonstrated the value of sacred music in strengthening ties between sister Churches and in ecumenical dialogue.
This year’s gathering continued last year’s initial efforts to advance both the availability and the quality of Church music in the English-speaking world by bringing together cantors and choir directors to meet one another, network, share resources, discuss various issues, and—most importantly—to pray together.
Four practical workshops were offered over the weekend, on 1) the Divine Liturgy (using The Divine Liturgy: An Anthology for Worship published by the Sheptytsky Institute), 2) introducing Vespers into parishes, 3) services from the Trebnyk, or Book of Needs (Baptism, Marriage, Funerals), and 4) the sources of the Kyivan and Galician liturgical music tradition. Networking sessions during meals led by Linda Dudar covered topics such as how to develop a choir and how to trouble-shoot mistakes and misunderstandings that inevitably arise for leaders of church singing.
Participants divided the remainder of their time between rehearsals, tours of the Stamford Seminary Museum and Library, and the celebration of liturgical services (Vespers, Matins, the Hours, and the Divine Liturgy) with homilies by Fr. Martin Canavan and Fr. Joseph Matlak, culminating in a Saturday evening Vigil and Sunday morning Divine Liturgy. Bishop Bohdan (Danylo) of St. Josaphat Eparchy in Parma and the English-language coordinator of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission presided and preached at the Vigil on Saturday evening and at the concluding Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the St. Basil Seminary Chapel. Roman Hurko’s new composition, The Jesus Prayer had its world premiere, sung by the choir during the Communion of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy.
On Thursday evening, after Vespers, dinner, and a word of welcome from Bishop Paul participants continued with a rehearsal and Town Hall/Armchair session moderated by Larisa Cronin, entitled “High Place, Altar, Krylos, Pew: Tell us, what’s your point of view?”, a forum for various perspectives on church singing in the UGCC, from bishops and priests to cantors and lay people. Metropolitan Borys (Gudziak), this year’s representative from the bishops, encouraged those present to continue their ministry of church singing and invited them to Philadelphia in 2020.
On Friday evening, cantor Joseph Roll gave a keynote address on the history of liturgical music at the Stamford Seminary. Professor Roll, who had organized similar church singing conferences in the 1980s and 1990s, provided an overview of the numerous liturgical translations and musical arrangements that were prepared in the seminary’s halls by its professors, clergy, and students, among them Fr. (later Patriarch) Lubomyr Husar, Mother Andrea of the Missionary Sisters of the Mother of God, and Prof. Ivan Zadorozhnyj. The lecture received a standing ovation.
The members of the organizing committee included Larisa Cronin (Ottawa), Reader Ilya Galadza (Toronto), Deacon Daniel Galadza (Kyiv), Julian Hayda (Chicago), Namisha Hlus (Edmonton), Roman Hurko (New York), Deacon Cyril Kennedy (Washington, D.C.), Father Joseph Matlak (North Carolina), Melita Mudri-Zubacz (California), and Damein Zakordonski (Edmonton).
A key result of the conference is that the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission will have a better sense of the support, resources, and training that cantors, choir directors, and singers in the UGCC in North America need to fulfill their vocation. Participants expressed the urgent need for official translations and publication of liturgical books in both English and Ukrainian, as well as resources that will help them sing the services in those books.
SingCon’s focus on English-language liturgy and singing in the UGCC stems from the 2017 decision of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC to create local linguistic groups within the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission. At the encouragement of Bishop Benedict (Aleksiychuk) of Chicago, a committee was formed at this year’s SingCon to prepare statutes for the formation of the Church Music Association of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in North America. This business meeting was attended by, among others, Bishop Basil (Losten), Bishop Bohdan (Danylo), and representatives of the Church Music Association of America (https://musicasacra.com).
Information on the schedule and the music, as well as photos and videos from the weekend, can be found on the conference website (www.ugccmusic.com) and on the Facebook page of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission (https://www.facebook.com/plc.ugcc/) with the hashtag #SingCon2019.
The next SingCon is scheduled for October 1-4, 2020, in Philadelphia, PA, hosted by the Philadelphia Archeparchy. For updates, subscribe to the mailing list on www.ugccmusic.com or write to hello[at]ugccmusic.com
UGCC SingCon Press Service
SINGCON 2020
October 1–4, 2020
THursday to Sunday
Philadelphia, PA
A LETTER FROM THE ORGANIZERS ABOUT THIS YEAR’S SINGCON
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
After a difficult few months throughout the world, we were really looking forward to seeing you at SingCon 2020 in October in Philadelphia. We thought that our huge Cathedral there would be perfect for physical distancing.
However, the Canada-USA border is currently closed, making it virtually impossible for many of our Canadian participants to plan attending. The economic downturn resulting from lockdowns and shutdowns in response to the pandemic has forced people to save money and cut expenses, meaning some may not be able to pay for travel, accommodation, and meals.
On top of that, certain studies suggest that singing in close proximity to one another might spread SARS-CoV-2 faster. Although the science on this is not conclusive, many churches are not eager to be held liable for people getting sick due to participation in large gatherings and public worship.
Due to these various factors, SingCon 2020, which had been scheduled for October 1-4, 2020, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has unfortunately been cancelled.
God willing, we hope to see you next year at SingCon 2021. Stay tuned for further information.
In order to help you out during this difficult time, we will be posting resources on our website in the form of texts, music, videos of seminars, and audio of church singing, including an online SingCon-A-Thon on October 1-4, the date of the originally planned weekend gathering. If you have specific requests for resources and topics to be addressed, please write to us with your suggestions.
We ask you to pray for peace throughout the world, for the well-being of God’s holy Churches and for the unity of all. May God bless you!
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
SingCon Committee
Mini SingCon 2021 Brampton
LECTURE
Mindful Praise: A Church Singer’s “Philokalia” by Fr. Peter Galadza
Saturday, November 6, 3:30 pm (New York/Toronto) livestreamed on YouTube
SingCon 2023 ᛭ Welland, Ontario
After successful gatherings in Parma (2018) and Stamford (2019), along with several virtual gatherings and events (2020–2021),
our goal at SingCon 2023 in Welland was to consolidate our knowledge and experience,
to teach how to transmit it in a practical and manageable manner,
remaining faithful to the liturgical tradition of the Church and the authentic Kyivan Greco-Catholic heritage,
and making it prayerful and beautiful in our churches and parishes, whether great or small.
We had a great time seeing you at Saint Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in Welland, Ontario,
to praise God together in song!
Saint Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church, Welland, Ontario
More than 80 participants gathered from all across Canada and the United States of America for the third Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Singing Conference, popularly known as “SingCon,” at Saint Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in Welland, Ontario, from 28 September to 1 October 2023. The pastor of St Michael’s, Father Jaroslaw Lazoryk, and the parishioners welcomed the attendees and provided tasty meals in the parish hall. Over the course of four days, the participants attended workshops and rehearsals in preparation for the liturgical services during the gathering, particularly weekday Vespers in the evenings and Parastas in the mornings, as well as Great Vespers with Litia on Saturday evening for the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God, Sunday Matins, and the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy on Sunday morning. The men’s and women’s kliroi were directed by Reader Ilya Galadza and Dobrodiyka Melita Mudri-Zubacz, respectively.
Bishop Bohdan (Danylo) of the Eparchy of Saint Josaphat in Parma, Ohio, presided at the Saturday evening and Sunday morning services. Since its inception in 2018, Bishop Bohdan has been the patron of SingCon, when the gathering took place in Parma, Ohio. The second SingCon took place at St Basil’s Seminary in Stamford, Connecticut, in 2019. The 2020 gathering scheduled to take place in the Philadelphia Archeparchy was postponed due to the pandemic and replaced by various online teaching initiatives and resources. This third gathering is the first regular, in-person SingCon event organized after the pandemic.
This year’s SingCon was dedicated to the memory of the newly-reposed Archpriest Roman Galadza (1943–2023), pastor of Saint Elias Church in Brampton, who was active in the previous SingCon gatherings, guiding cantors throughout the world towards a better understanding and celebration of our rich liturgical heritage. The keynote address was given by Dr. Brian Butcher, a subdeacon of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the ecumenical relations secretary for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. His stimulating talk addressed our own worship and the intersection between the psychology and sociology of singing with the experience and understanding of beauty. On Saturday evening after Great Vespers with Litia, the traditional Town Hall Discussion was moderated by Julian Hayda. Panelists included Bishop Bohdan, Hieromonk Herman, Dobrodiyka Kim Bombak, and Namisha Hlus, who discussed various questions, including inculturation and the use of English in worship, the resolutions of the recent Synod of Bishops of the UGGG held in Rome in September regarding ministry to Ukrainian refugees and the Ukrainian language, the participation of children in liturgical worship, and the meaning of “active participation” (participatio actuosa) in congregational singing.
Participants left the gathering invigorated by the beautiful worship, more knowledgeable of UGCC singing tradition through workshops and rehearsals, better informed by the discussions, and energized by the fellowship and new friendships formed over the four days together.
SingCon 2023 Schedule
bold indicates events open to the public without registration
Thursday, September 28, 2023
From 4:00 pm – Arrival and Registration
5:00 pm – Ninth Hour and Vespers
6:00 pm – Dinner
7:30 pm – Welcome, Introductions, Singing Warm-Up, Fellowship
Friday, September 29, 2023 – 🕃 Our Venerable Father Cyriacus the Anchorite
Breakfast on your own (at your hotel)
8:00 am – Parastas
9:00–10:30 am – Workshops: Session 1
10:30–11:00 am – Coffee Break
11:00–12:15 pm – Rehearsal 1
12:15 pm – Sixth Hour and Lunch (with networking and display tables)
1:45–3:15 pm – Workshops: Session 2
3:15–3:30 pm – Coffee Break
3:30–4:45 pm – Rehearsal 2
5:00 pm – Ninth Hour and Vespers
6:00 pm – Dinner
6:45 pm – Group table discussions: “Resonance Revealed: Examining Hurdles in Parish Singing – What’s working?”
8:00 pm – Public Lecture by Dr. Brian Butcher (followed by refreshments). Download the PowerPoint presentation here.
Saturday, September 30, 2023 – 🕃 The Holy Hieromartyr Gregory, Bishop of Great Armenia
Breakfast on your own (at your hotel)
8:00 am – Parastas
9:00–9:15 am – Coffee Break
9:15–10:45 am – Rehearsal 3
10:45-11:00 am – Coffee Break
11:00am-12:15pm – Workshops: Session 3
12:15pm – Lunch
1:15–2:45 pm – Workshops: Session 4
2:45–3:15 pm – Coffee Break
3:15–4:30 pm – Rehearsal 4
5:00 pm – Great Vespers with Litia
7:00 pm – Dinner
8:30–10:00 pm – Panel Discussion/Town Hall
Sunday, October 1, 2023 – 17th Sunday after Pentecost, Tone 8, Matins Gospel 7, 🕁 The Protection of the Most Holy Mother of God
8:00 am – Sunday Matins
9:45 am – Greeting and Vesting of Bishop
10:00 am – Hierarchical Divine Liturgy
12:00 pm – Group Photo and Lunch
1:00 pm – Farewell and Departures
Workshops
Stream 1: Basic Resurrectional
Workshop 1 (Friday morning): Tones
Workshop 2 (Friday afternoon): Do’s and Don’ts of the Divine Liturgy
Workshop 3 (Saturday morning): Prokeimena and Alleluia
Workshop 4 (Saturday afternoon): Supplemental Music
Stream 2: Intermediate Samohlasen
Workshop 1 (Friday morning): Tones
Workshop 2 (Friday afternoon): Vespers
Workshop 3 (Saturday morning): Presanctified Liturgy
Workshop 4 (Saturday afternoon): Order of Burial
Stream 3: Advanced Oktoechos
Workshop 1 (Friday morning): Tones (with Stream 2)
Workshop 2 (Friday afternoon): Vespers (with Stream 2)
Workshop 3 (Saturday morning): Bulgarian Tones and Dogmatica (Part 1)
Workshop 4 (Saturday afternoon): Bulgarian Tones and Dogmatica (Part 2)
SingCon 2024 Calgary
Practical Information:
Date: September 19–22, 2024
Location: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, 704 6 St NE, Calgary, Alberta T2E 3Y7, Canada
Recommended Hotel: Holiday Inn Calgary Airport, 1250 McKinnon Drive NE, Calgary, Alberta T2E 7T7
Hotel blocks/deals have been negotiated and booked at $159.00/night/room (+tax) for up to 4 people in that room, including hot breakfasts for up to 4 people staying in that room. This also includes shuttle to/from the airport and, as available, to/from the church.
SingCon 2024 Public Keynote Lecture by Melita Mudri-Zubacz, Director of Music at Fresno Pacific University, entitled “Aural Icons: Unlocking the Transformative Power of Liturgical Music”
The fourth annual SingCon was held in Calgary, Alberta, from 19 to 22 September 2024, hosted by Fr. Roman Planchak and the gracious parishioners of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church. Over 100 participants, both from Western Canada and elsewhere in North America, gathered to pray and learn more about their church singing tradition.
The daily schedule included a selection of liturgical worship services, such as Vespers, Matins, the Hours, Divine Liturgy, and Parastas, as well as rehearsals and workshops. The first evening concluded with the now traditional Town Hall Discussion, moderated by Deacon Cyril Kennedy. On the second evening, Dobrodijka Melita Mudri-Zubacz, Director of Music at Fresno Pacific University in California, gave the keynote Public Lecture, entitled “Aural Icons: Unlocking the Transformative Power of Liturgical Music.” The talk elaborated upon some of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky’s proposals in his pastoral letter “Regarding Church Singing” from the Lviv Archeparchial Council of 25 April 1941 and which stimulated significant discussion afterwards about the ways of participation in worship. On Saturday evening, the day concluded with a beautiful Vigil service. The culmination of the conference was the Sunday Divine Liturgy, at which Hieromonk Herman presided and preached. Before departing home, Larisa Galadza, former Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, gave the participants a word of encouragement for the future. It was noted that the SingCon gatherings aimed at preserving, promoting, and praying the church singing tradition were appreciated far beyond just those who attended the annual gatherings.
This year Bishop Bohdan of Parma and Reader Ilya Galadza were unable to attend SingCon because of their duties in leading the funeral of the newly-reposed Bishop Basil (Losten) in the Eparchy of Stamford, but their absence was supplemented by the presence of numerous priests from the Archeparchy of Winnipeg and the Eparchies of Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Toronto, who presided and preached at the daily services.
Thanks to the sponsorship of various benefactors and generous donations from the Edmonton Eparchy, the Ukraine Millenium Society, Ukrainian Catholic Women’s League of Canada (Edmonton Eparchy), Doug and Lynn Faulder, the Ed Stelmach Community Foundation, Telerose Printing, and Huggabowl, which were secured by local SingCon OrgCom members Namisha Greening and Damein Zakordonski, the participants’ registration fees and the conference costs could be subsidized and reduced. Draft books and resources were printed for the use of participants and bags were printed with the new SingCon logo designed by Oleksiy Chekal.
The fifth annual SingCon is being planned for early autumn 2025 at a location yet to be officially announced.
For videos, pictures, and audio recordings from this year’s gathering, and more information about future events and current resources, visit the SingCon website (https://ugccmusic.com/) and its social media presence on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ugccmusic), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ugccmusic/), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@singconugccmusic), and SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/ugcc-music).
Schedule:
Thursday 19 September 2024
from 4:00 pm – Arrival and Registration
5:45 pm – Ninth Hour and Vespers
6:30 pm – Dinner
7:30 pm – Welcome, Introductions, Singing Warm-Up, Town Hall
Friday 20 September 2024
Post-feast of the Exaltation of the Cross
🕃 Holy Great-Martyr Eustathius and those with him
🕃 Holy Martyrs and Confessors for the Faith, the Grand Prince Michael and his Nobleman Theodore, Wonderworkers of Chernihiv
Epistle: Ephesians 6:18–24; Gospel: Luke 4:22–30
8:00 am – Matins
9:30–10:45 am – Workshops: Session 1
10:45–11:15 am – Coffee Break
11:15–12:30 pm – Rehearsal 1
12:30 pm – Sixth Hour and Lunch (with networking and display tables)
1:30–2:45 pm – Workshops: Session 2
2:45–3:15 pm – Coffee Break
3:15–5:00 pm – Rehearsal 2
5:00 pm – Ninth Hour and Vespers
6:00 pm – Dinner
7:00 pm – Public Lecture by Melita Mudri-Zubacz, “Aural Icons: Unlocking the Transformative Power of Liturgical Music,” followed by Refreshments
Saturday 21 September 2024
Leave-taking of the Feast of the Exaltation
Saturday after the Feast of the Exaltation
Holy Apostle Codratus of Magnesia
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:26–29; Gospel: John 8:21–30
8:00 am – Parastas
9:15–10:45 am – Rehearsal 3
10:45-11:00 am – Coffee Break
11:00 am-12:15 pm – Workshops: Session 3
12:15 pm – Lunch
1:15–2:45 pm – Workshops: Session 4
2:45–3:15 pm – Coffee Break
3:15–4:30 pm – Rehearsal 4
5:00 pm – Dinner
6:00 pm – Great Vespers and Matins, followed by Fellowship
Sunday 22 September 2024
18th Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 1, Matins Gospel 7
Epistle: 2 Corinthians 9:6–11; Gospel: Luke 5:1–11
Holy Priest-Martyr Phocas, Bishop of Sinope; Holy Prophet Jonah; Venerable Jonah the Presbyter, Father of Theophanes, Composer of Canons, and Theodore the Branded
8:45 am – Greeting and Vesting of Bishop and Hierarchal Divine Liturgy
11:00 am – Group Photo and Lunch
1:00 pm – Farewell and Departures
Updated September 9, 2024