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.

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