Choir / Cantor

Among the reasons that candles and incense are used in the Orthodox church is to invoke all of our senses for the Glory of God.  Our voices play an important role in this mission.  Traditionally, St. Elias has utilized both a full choir as well as cantors to sing the responses and other hymns.

The choir is situated on the balcony, and the music is sung in Arabic and English.

The harmonic sounds of a choir can be a true source of inspiration to the congregation.  We strive, and often struggle, to find musically inclined parishioners who are willing to put their talents to good use, and are committed to a well disciplined choir agenda.  Please talk to the Choir Director, Diane (Sopp) Sauro, if you are interested in joining.

The Choir Director, is an Ex-Officio Member of the Parish Council.

The cantor usually stands in the front part of the church   This traditional music is chanted mostly in Arabic. There are 8 basic tones that make up the Orthodox chants.  Intensive training is often a pre-requisite to mastering the art of Orthodox chanting.