Readers' Workshop
The office of Church Reader involves more than simply reading words on a page. It requires knowledge of the services of the Church, a familiarity with the liturgical cycle, a solid understanding of the devotional life of the Church, and a commitment to life-long learning. In this four-part presentation we will examine these items and more. Open to all church readers, potential church readers, and anyone seeking a fuller understanding of the liturgical practices of the Orthodox Christian Church. Presented by Subdeacon Matthew McCroskery.
In this session we will cover the duties and responsibilities of a reader: What a reader should do and know; how to conduct a reader service; as well as some basic vocal techniques.
Session Two: Saturday 3/30 3:30 pm
Session One: Saturday 3/23 3:30 pm
This session will be an overview of the services of the Church and the books that they require. We’ll look at the daily, weekly, and yearly cycle of services, the ranks of services, and the various texts that we draw from in order to celebrate those services.
Session Three: Saturday 4/13 3:30 pm
Session Four: Saturday 4/20 3:30 pm
This session will focus on Vespers and its proper execution: We'll look at the different types of Vespers services, including Daily, Sunday, and Vesperal Liturgy. We'll look at the Lenten variations, and other things that occur with the different "ranks" of the service. We'll also spend some quality time examining the "Lord I Have Cried" sequence.
This session will be like session three, but rather than Vespers, we will focus on the Matins services, spending a good deal of time on the variable material that occurs with this service. We will also compare the Daily, and Sunday Matins, and (if we have time) the Daily Lenten Matins.
Resources
Articles:
"Notes for Readers" by Dn. Sergius Halvorsen
"Instructions to Church Readers" by G. Shimansky
"A Guide for Readers in the Orthodox Church" by Father Geoffrey Korz
"Preparing for Tonsure & Ordination as a Reader" by Fr Noah Bushelli
Links:
"Practical Questions On How To Do Reader Service"
"The Reader in the Orthodox Church" by Reader Vitaly Efimenkov
"Thoughts about the office of Reader in the Orthodox Church"
"When No Priest is Available: Reading the Service Books While Traveling or at Home"
Liturgics Lessons from St. Tikhon’s Monastery
Other resources:
"Liturgics" by Archbishop Averky
Handouts from the First Session
Prokeimenon/Epistle/Alleluia Sequence
Things a Reader Should Memorize
Sources
Glossary
Guidelines for a Reader Service
Order of the Typika
Handouts from the Second Session
Handouts from the Third Session
Saturday Evening Great Vespers worksheet
Handouts from the Fourth Session
Audio