AGES Initiative now a GOA initiative

August 31, 2021 (GOARCH) - The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America has acquired certain assets of the respected AGES Initiatives organization, which has provided digital music for Byzantine Chant utilizing both Byzantine and Western notations and translations of liturgical texts for Orthodox churches around the world since 2012. In that time, AGES Initiatives has developed a full suite of digital texts designed to facilitate the study of Byzantine chant in a variety of languages for those at church, at home, or in the classroom. 

The acquisition of the Digital Chant Stand, the most popular resource of the AGES Initiatives, will allow the Archdiocese to continue its mission to enhance the worship experience of the Orthodox faithful by supporting the liturgical arts and making them widely available with meaningful translations and modern technology. The Rev. Hieromonk Seraphim Dedes will join the Archdiocesan Staff as Digital Liturgical Content Manager, Liturgical Translator and Typikaris; Mr. Richard Barrett will join the Archdiocese in the Office of Liturgical Texts and Translations.

“It is with great joy that we are able to announce the inclusion of this wonderful resource within the music ministry and sacred worship of our Archdiocese,” commented His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros. “Our aim has always been to supplement the ongoing needs of our Church musicians by providing them with the necessary resources and bilingual materials to properly fulfill their duties within the divine services. Therefore, with this new acquisition, we remain committed to supporting the efforts currently taking place across the Archdiocese to meet the contemporary musical and liturgical needs of our parishes.”

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, through the continued work of Fr. Seraphim, will maintain the Digital Chant Stand as an official Archdiocesan resource, compiling service texts and musical scores for the entire liturgical year in both Greek and English, and distributing them electronically via the Digital Chant Stand website and the new GOA Digital Chant Stand mobile app. 

The acquisition of the Digital Chant Stand is the first step towards a broader vision of liturgical revitalization in the Holy Archdiocese. In June of 2020, the Holy Eparchial Synod approved the formation of the Liturgical Arts Commission, which is led by His Grace Bishop Joachim of Amissos. The Commission serves as both a resource and an arbiter of texts and translations of worship and Scripture, musical adaptations, iconography, and architecture.

Throughout the course of the coming year in which the Archdiocese will celebrate its Centennial, the Liturgical Arts Commission will oversee the gathering of all relevant resources, in the aforementioned categories, into a single digital portal, enhancing these resources for the parishes and the faithful. The Digital Chant Stand has been made possible by the generous support of Leadership 100.

To visit the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s Digital Chant Stand, please visit https://digitalchantstand.goarch.org.