With the Blessing of His Eminence, LAURENŢIU Streza, Transylvania etropolitan, during the period May 16-18, 2017, the Musicology Symposium “Church Singing during the Ministry of His Beatitude, Patriarch Justinian Marina (1948-1977)” was organized by the Orthodox Theology Faculty “Andrei Șaguna” of “Lucian Blaga” University in Sibiu. The organized event gave an opportunity of several Church Music Professionals, who presented their studies in most interesting and rich sessions from the point of view of subjects and methodological approaches. Next to the thematics announced in the title of the Symposium, there was a second section with open thematics

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The choir represents a reality which cannot be reduced to just its musical aspects, because in the Church he is a symbol of unity and communion. Numerous paradigms, ancient or Christian, reveals the pastoral and spiritual potential of the choir idea. The history of the liturgical chant in the Romanian Orthodox Church has also illustrated important hypostases of the choir in the Church life.

Keywords: - orthodox liturgical Romanian choir music

Revd. PhD. Vasile Grăjdian, Professor at “Andrei Şaaguna” Orthodox Faculty of Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
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The study realizes a historical retrospective of the introduction of linear uniformized music in the cult and liturgical practice of the Romanian Orthodox Church from the 19th-20th centuries. They are presented successively as precursors of the idea of churchly chanting uniformity in the nineteenth-century, Prince Al. I. Cuza, Metropolitan Melchizedek Stefanescu, the singers Gavriil Musicescu, Gheorghe I. Dima and Grigore I. Gheorghiu, as well as the pastoral-missionary strategy of the Holy Synod under the leadership of Patriarch Justinian Marina to introduce uniformized homophone and choral singing in the Romanian Orthodox Church in the 20th century. Also, there is highlighted the important contribution of some notable theologians such as Nicolae Lungu, Dumitru Stăniloae, Ene Branişte regarding the support and promotion of the commune singing of the services by the faithful, as well as the main double-notation psaltic imprints published at the Romanian Patriarchy Publishing House

Keywords: - chanting, psaltic, uniformized, Patriarch Justinian Marina

Revd. PhD Zaharia Matei, Assistant Professor at the “Justinian Patriarhul” Orthodox Faculty of Theology, University of Bucharest, Romania

Location : - Bucharest, Romania
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Patriarch Justinian Marina was elected in 1948 as the supreme Head of the Romanian Orthodox Church. In that time, Bishop Nicolae Popoviciu from Oradea was brave and courageous and stand up against the Communist regime, through his actions and public sermons. In the time spent in the Theological Academy of Oradea the future priests and the students in Theology learned ecclesiastical music. In the Bishopry of Oradea was also a renowned School who trained singers for Churches, in the School for Ecclesiastical Singers. Among the Teachers who taught at this School we can count Nicolae Firu, Iosif Romulus Botto, Gheorghe Laurențiu, Alexandru Voiț, Andrei Lupșa, Constantin Mureșan and Traian Codilă. This School for ecclesiastical singers was active for 20 years.

Keywords: - ecclesiastical music, Nicolae Popovici, Ecclesiastical Singers, Oradea, communism

Pfr. Dr. Mihai Brie, Dozent an der Theologischen Facultät, Oradea Universität, Rumänien

Location : - Oradea Universität, Rumänien
E-mail : - mihaibrie@yahoo.com.

The nineteenth century is the most important period in Romanian Orthodox Byzantine music. The beginning of the nineteenth century proposes compositions translated from Greek language. The first polyeleos compositions had very complex structures. In time, they have been simplified, reaching forms that could be interpreted close to anyone. If the translations were preferred at the beginning of the century, towards the end, all the compositions were original. Simultaneously with the evolution of divine worship, the polyeleos compositions have been adjusted to extent according to local customs. Of the very important Romanian composers we recall: Hieromonk Makarios, Anton Pann, Iosif Naniescu, Visarion, etc.

Keywords: - byzantine music, polyeleos, nineteenth century, composers

Archd. Nicuşor Lăzărică, PhD Student at the “Andrei Şaguna” Orthodox Faculty of Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
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The Choir from Orăştie, a phrase which implies a whole musical, church and church tradition, after the First World War, has gained a strong development in the same locality. The presence of talented and well-trained music teachers such as: Gheorghe Pârvu, Nicolae Praţia, Savel Horceag, Ioan Ienea or Valeriu Bora, led to a diversification of the choral activity in Orăştie. Whether we are talking about church choirs or choirs belonging to other institutions, all these groups have a profound religious character and were a good means of Christological confession through harmonic music.

Keywords: - Church choir, choral activity, repertoire, liturgic chants, composer, conductor, sacred music

Ioan-Marius Popa, PhD Student at the “Andrei Şaguna” Orthodox Faculty of Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania.

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
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Gypsies in their migration, worldwide have integrated among the countries in which they settled, keeping their nomadic traditions for centuries. One can say that music makes an integral part of their lives.This study is presenting shortly their history in Romania, and their integrative evolution in our society, emphasising the role music has had in their communitarian life. If through their condition of slavery, gypsies were called to entertain the people, today they are implied in many forms of the modern society.The gypsies’ profession of fiddler is in a period of declinetoday, but very interesting, lăutariahas had a very important role in preserving the nationalethos, folklore and songs.

Keywords: - tradition, music, psaltic, authentic, promotion, singing

Revd. PhD Adam Domin, Professor at the Faculty of Orthodox Theology, „1 Decembrie 1918” Univerisity of Alba Iulia, Romania

Location : - Alba-Iulia, Romania
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Romanian traditional carols, be they archaic or modern, are marked by folkloric music in their tone, though very beautiful and moving, often lacking the richness and theological depth due to its particular folkloric - popular origin. Carols – wonderful popular works - greatly surprise and symbolize the mystery of salvation and sacramental theology involved in these feasts through elements of nature and holy characters participating in the great event of salvation which is the Birth of Jesus Christ. However, an attempt to approach in detail the theological wealth of holy events celebrated during the Winter Holidays, with the highlighting of subtle elements of cosmology, soteriology, theology of time, of the angelic world participating in the events of salvation, of the Bible characters and even mythological ones involved and transfigured by them, all forming a logical and happy blending of symbols and dogmas of salvation, was missing and was necessary in Romanian carols. These ideas are experienced in the poetry comprised in the volume Carols Resound in the Sky. Carols and Theological songs for the Winter Holidays1, gathering between its covers text and musical notation of the three albums of original songs published in recent years.

Keywords: - Carols, Nativity, Poetry, Cosmology, Anthropology, Salvation

Revd. PhD. Vasile Grăjdian, Assistant Professor at “Andrei Şaaguna” Orthodox Faculty of Theology, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
E-mail : - perevasile@yahoo.fr

This translation regards four homilies of St. Gregory the Great spoken by the author in the winter months of 590, describing in particular the events of the Savior‘s Birth, of his enthronement as Emperor, but also of the celebration of St. Apostle Andrew and of the followings by the Apostles of the Savior Of their Mission Statement. The reader can see how St. Gregory the Great and the ancient Roman world perceived and appropriated these great events of salvation.

Keywords: - St. Gregory the Great, Homilies, the Birth of the Savior, St. Apostle Andrew

Revd. Constantin NECULA, Associated Professor at the “Andrei Şaguna” Orthodox Faculty of Theology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania.

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
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Through this paper I want to provide to the Romanian reader the text of a pseudo-chrysostomian homily on the Nativity, edited by Sever J. Voicu, and to indicate two interesting elements present in it, namely, what it means for a Byzantine preacher “to praise the Lord of the day”, and how he understands that we must celebrate the Nativity “as Christians”. The image of a Christian celebration of Christmas - as tautological as it may seem - is all the more necessary, as Christians have forgotten how to celebrate “as Christians”.

Keywords: - pseudo-chrysostomian homily, on Nativity, “as Christians”

Revd. Radu GÂRBACEA, Teaching Assistant at the “Andrei Şaguna” Orthodox Faculty of Theology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania.

Location : - Sibiu, Romania
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The present article entitled The First Official Position of the Russian Orthodox Church Regarding the Synod in Crete. A few Preliminary Commentaries contents a presentation and analysis of the Report of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on the Synod of Crete, as presented in form of a press release on the official website of the Russian Orthodox Church, dated November 29th 2017. The second part presents and analysis similar official positions taken by the other four Orthodox Churches which did not participated at the Synod in Crete, as well as the special position of the Serbian Orthodox Churches regarding the Synod in Crete. It ends with a presentation of the position of the Orthodox Church in America regarding the Synod in Crete.

Keywords: - Synod in Crete; Russian Orthodox Church; Patriarchate of Antioch; Georgian Orthodox Church; Bulgarian Orthodox Church; Orthodox Church in America

Pr. Dr. Aurel PAVEL, profesor la Facultatea de Teologie „Andrei Şaguna” din cadrul Universităţii Lucian Blaga din Sibiu // Pr. Dr. Daniel BUDA, conferenţiar la Facultatea de Teologie „Andrei Şaguna” din cadrul Universităţii Lucian Blaga din Sibiu şi director de program în cadrul departamentului Biserică şi Relaţii Ecumenice al Consiliului Mondial al Bisericilor (Geneva)

Location : - Sibiu / Geneva
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