Holy Resurrection Choir
About Our Choir
With its objective of enhancing the spiritual experience of our parishioners, the Holy Resurrection Choir joyfully leads the congregation in singing the beautiful hymns of our Church on Sundays and on many major holidays throughout the year. The choir is composed of four voice parts: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. Under the leadership of its choir director Theodore Brakatselos, the choir sings the hymns from the Greek Orthodox Hymnal, arranged by the late and well-known, Demetrios Pappas. The hymns are based in the Byzantine music tradition and arranged primarily in four parts with lyrics written in Greek and English phonetics, thus making it reader-friendly for all to follow.
Here’s a small sampling of the choir singing “Soma Christou” during the Paschal Liturgy after the Resurrection Service (soloist: John Brakatselos):
About our Choir Director
Theodore Brakatselos became our choir director in 2010. He has decades of experience singing in church choirs, both in Western and Byzantine styles of music. A bass-baritone privately trained, Theodore has sung in a number of church and Archdiocesan choirs in the New York area and has performed in many well-known venues including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, and Princeton University. He has performed both as a choir member and as a soloist, most notably when he performed as a soloist at the ancient stadium of Aspendos, in modern day Turkey, in the presence of the renowned opera singer and Archon Protopsaltis of the Patriarchate, Mr. Leonidas Asteris. Theodore is passionate about music and conducting, and is overwhelmed with joy that he can combine his love of music with his Faith.
About our Choir Members
The Holy Resurrection Choir has a number of long standing choir members with many of years of service. Here are some photos of choir members receiving awards from the Direct Archdiocesan District Federation of Church Musicians’ President, Mrs. Anna Dounelis.
Choir Events
As a choir we have grown to know and like each other’s company. Our fellowship continues to grow and deepen. Not only do we sing in church, but we participate in events outside of church. A wonderful example is the choir’s participation in a bi-annual fund raiser for college student scholarships. It’s the Direct Archdiocesan District Federation of Greek Orthodox Church Musicians Cabaret Event. We have a tremendous amount of fun and enjoyment from performing in this event. Watch our video of “O Violistis sti Steghi” our version of “Tradition” from “Fiddler on the Roof”. It was arranged and directed by our very talented choir member, Dean Mihaltses.
In June, the choir has its annual end of year choir gathering, where good food, music, and dancing celebrate the wonderful year together. We have our own award ceremony where our choir director chooses the “Choir Member of Year” and the recipient receives recognition for his or her outstanding contributions to the choir.
Do you like to sing?
Consider joining us…we are always looking for talented singers; especially those who want to use their God-given talent to sing praises to God. We rehearse weekly during the year…so for more information about the choir feel free to contact our choir director – Theodore Brakatselos, at [email protected]. Or leave a phone message for him with the church office. He will gladly reply and welcome you!