Cappella Romana to sing Divine Liturgy at St. George's Orthodox Church, Portland

Cappella Romana, Portland's professional vocal ensemble of international acclaim specializing in music of the Orthodox Church, will sing the Divine Liturgy at St. George's Antiochian Orthodox Church in Portland, Oregon, this Sunday, October 5, at 10:00am.

The ensemble will be led by John Michael Boyer, Protopsaltis (Chief Cantor) of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco and one of Cappella Romana's principal singers. He is the primary adapter and transcriber of chant in English for the ensemble's latest CD release, Divine Liturgy in English in Byzantine Chant.

Members of Cappella Romana who will be joining us on Sunday are LeaAnne DenBeste (soprano), Catherine van der Salm (soprano), Jo Routh (alto), Les Green (tenor), Mark Powell (tenor and executive director of the ensemble), David Krueger (bass), and John S. Boyer (bass).

John S. Boyer is the father of John Michael and former choir director at St. George's Orthodox Church. Some parishioners may remember John Michael Boyer as an infant, as he was churched at 40 days of age at Saint George's.

Cappella Romana with Neal Stephenson at the Bagdad in Portland

Er, make that Neal "Stepheson." At the Powell's Books reading in Portland, Tuesday, September 16, at the Bagdad Theater.
Cappella Romana singers Mark Powell, Adam Steele, (Neal Stephenson), Paige Baker, David Krueger.

Neal Stephenson loves Byzantine music

Who would have thought that Neal Stephenson, one of the world's most famous science fiction writers, would be a fan of Cappella Romana? He says his favorite type of chant is Byzantine Chant.

The music accompanying his new novel employs some singers from Cappella Romana. More info here, by its composer, David Stutz.

Living With Music:
A Playlist by Neal Stephenson

By Dwight Garner

{EXCERPT}

* My favorite style of chant is Byzantine, which I learned about by attending concerts by the Portland, Oregon-based group Cappella Romana. The single most powerful piece of music I’ve heard in recent years is the “Lament for the Fall of Constantinople.” Close your eyes and you can almost see the Blachernae Walls crumbling before the onslaught of Sultan Mehmet’s colossal artillery. Cappella Romana have recorded this piece twice; I prefer the somewhat slower and longer version on their album “The Fall of Constantinople.”

Cappella Romana in the New York Review of Books

Cappella Romana and its founder and artistic director Alexander Lingas were lauded in the New York Review of Books this week.

Read the full review [subscription]. Or buy it on the newsstands.

The New York Review of Books, Volume 55, Number 14 · September 25, 2008

Brilliant, Beautiful & Byzantine
By G.W. Bowersock

Byzantium: The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire
by Judith Herrin
Princeton University Press, 392 pp., $29.95

[EXCERPT]

"The music of Byzantium, to which Herrin might have considered allotting a chapter, is no less overwhelming than the places in which it is performed. The success of the contemporary Cappella Romana chamber ensemble, ably directed by Alexander Lingas of London, introduces modern listeners to the sounds that filled the churches of Byzantium no less than the light of their lamps."

Cappella Romana completes Finnish Recording sessions

Cappella Romana has completed another set of sessions for a future CD release, this time of music from the Finnish Orthodox Church. The photo here is from a free recital presented in advance of the sessions on Sunday, September 7, at St. Agatha's Church in Sellwood, Portland.

Dr. Lingas to give lecture for London's Royal Academy: 'Byzantine Psalmody to 1453'

In conjunction with the Royal Academy of Arts exhibition, Byzantium 330-1453:

Dr Alexander Lingas, Senior Lecturer in Music at City University and founder and artistic director of Cappella Romana, will survey the development of liturgical music in Byzantium from its origins in the congregational psalmody of Late Antiquity to the ecstatic compositions of St John Koukouzeles and Manuel Chrysaphes in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. A small ensemble of accomplished Byzantine cantors (including Cappella Romana's John Michael Boyer) will musically illustrate the presentation.

7 Nov 2008, 6:30pm, The College Chapel, King's College London, Strand, London WC2

For more information, click here.

Dr. Alexander Lingas returns from London to host ARCTIC LIGHT

Dr. Alexander Lingas returns from London to host
ARCTIC LIGHT: Finnish Orthodox Music
Free Recital & Reception - Sunday, Sept. 7 | YouTube Sample

Thanks to a low-fare flight and a last-minute change in schedule, we're happy to announce that Dr. Alexander Lingas, founder and artistic director of Cappella Romana, will return to the Northwest this weekend.

Dr. Lingas will present his friend and colleague Fr. Ivan Moody in Portland at Sunday's free recital and will host the post-concert reception with patrons and donors.

Sunday, September 7, 4:00 p.m.
St. Agatha's Catholic Church in Sellwood
1430 SE Nehalem Street (at 15th)
Portland RSVP (scroll down to add your name).

Wine & Appetizers to follow:

• Hosted by Dr. Alexander Lingas, meet Rev. Dr. Ivan Moody, internationally celebrated composer and conductor (and now Orthodox priest), along with Cappella Romana's extraordinary singers.
• Bring your checkbook or credit card to make a gift in support of Cappella Romana's recording of Arctic Light: Finnish Orthodox Music.

PHOTO: Dr. Lingas and Rev. Dr. Moody following Rev. Moody's ordination to the Orthodox priesthood in Lisbon, Portugal, October 7, 2007.

With thanks to the Finlandia Foundation, and the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation, Portland.