This fall the community of St. Vladimir’s Seminary continued its exploration of interactions between Eastern and Oriental Orthodox liturgical chant. On Friday, October 2, Seminary alumnus Daniel Girgis (M.A. ’21) led a workshop illustrating the depth and beauty of the Coptic liturgical music tradition.
Girgis, born and raised in New York City, is a lifelong member of the Coptic Orthodox Church. He is a subdeacon and chanter and has spent several years intensely studying Coptic liturgical music. His research focuses on the restoration and preservation of Coptic liturgical tradition through the study of Orthodox theology, the analysis of Coptic liturgical manuscripts, and the oral transmission of Coptic chant. Girgis is currently completing a liturgical study and musical translation of the Coptic Psalmody that will be published by St. Vladimir's Seminary (SVS) Press.
“Some of [these traditional hymns] are really beautiful pieces of music that are very enjoyable and very meditative,” said Girgis, as he explained and demonstrated various musical forms to members of the Seminary community in attendance.
Watch a recording of the workshop below or on SVOTS’ YouTube channel.
The workshop is part of a series of events made possible through a generous grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW), Grand Rapids, MI, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. Dr. Alexander Lingas, Professor of Music and Associate Director of SVOTS’ Institute of Sacred Arts, has been guiding efforts to delve into commonalities and differences in Eastern and Oriental Orthodox approaches to sung worship. Last May the Seminary hosted Exploring the Orient: Syriac & Armenian Liturgical Chant and in 2024 held an initiative, also funded by CICW, which highlighted Eastern Orthodox liturgical singing.
Later this month, on October 29–30, Girgis will return to the Seminary, along with other expert liturgical music practitioners and scholars from various traditions, for the colloquium on Oriental Orthodox Liturgical Music in Theological Education. The event will be open to the public—more information is forthcoming!
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE OF SACRED ARTS
The Institute of Sacred Arts (ISA) at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary explores the intersection of human creativity and holiness. With a theology that is holistic, and a liturgy that unites multiple artistic disciplines and all the human senses, the Orthodox Christian tradition is ripe for the exploration and celebration of the sacred arts. Since its founding in 1938, St. Vladimir’s Seminary has fostered the study of icons, music, and liturgy. The ISA serves to extend the seminary’s mission in exploring the mutual relationship between theology and the arts by: contributing to the work of people and institutions that practice and reflect on the sacred arts; engaging people and institutions of all backgrounds with Orthodox artistic tradition; inspiring wider public interest in spirituality and the arts. Learn more at www.instituteofsacredarts.com.
ABOUT THE CALVIN INSTITUTE OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW), located at Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is an interdisciplinary study and ministry center that promotes the scholarly study of the theology, history, and practice of Christian worship and the renewal of worship in worshipping communities across North America and beyond.
ABOUT THE LILLY ENDOWMENT
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly, Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion and maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. A primary aim of its grantmaking in religion is to deepen the religious lives of Christians, principally by supporting efforts that enhance congregational vitality and strengthen the leadership of Christian communities. The Endowment values the broad diversity of Christian traditions and endeavors to support them in a wide variety of contexts. The Endowment also seeks to foster public understanding about religion by encouraging fair, accurate, and balanced portrayals of the positive and negative effects of religion on the world and lifting up the contributions that people of all faiths make to our greater civic well-being.
