With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan John of Dubna, a course in liturgical practice and chant is being held for the sixth consecutive year at St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, from Monday 29 June to Friday 3 July 2026.
This seminar is intended, on the one hand, for priests, deacons and altar servers, and on the other, for readers, cantors and choir directors. The lectures, practical classes and liturgical services will take place in French.
Through lectures and practical exercises, the clergy will be able to deepen their knowledge of how to celebrate the divine services: the typikon, censings, movements, the proskomedia, the distribution of litanies and ecphonesis in the case of concelebration, manner of declamation… Canonical rules and pastoral questions (baptism, communion, confession, epitimia, economy…) will also be addressed.
The readers, cantors and choir directors will be able to learn, or consolidate, their practice of reading, of the liturgical tones and of singing in general. We shall also address questions of typikon, translation, the adaptation of Russian melodies to the French language (tonic accents, melismas), the development of the repertoire…
For the choir directors, we shall also discuss other aspects of the performance of liturgical chant, the manner of giving the pitch, and other elements of music theory.
This course is organised by Protodeacon Alexandre Kedroff and the clergy of the cathedral – Archpriest André Svynarov, Priest Matthieu Leszczynski, Protodeacon Jean Drobot – together with Archpriest Nicolas Rehbinder, Serge Rehbinder and other speakers.
Each day will begin with Matins or the Divine Liturgy and end with the service of Vespers or Vigil. The lectures will be given in the morning and the practical classes in the afternoon.
Clergy and faithful of all jurisdictions are welcome.
Course fee: €250 (midday meal, scores and course materials included).
Reductions are available, in particular for students.
For all information and registration, please go to: http://bit.ly/4qy0GfX