21 Δεκεμβρίου, 2020 - 16:07

Archdiocesan District of Adelaide – Christmas Carols 2020

Διαδώστε:

Sunday the 20th of December 2020 marked the inaugural State-wide Christmas Carols (Kalanda) event for the Archdiocesan District of Adelaide.
For many years, a number of parishes across Adelaide had been having their own Christmas carols. But for the first time this year, with the blessing and encouragement of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios and his local Archiepiscopal Vicar, His Grace Bishop Silouan of Sinope, the parishes graciously agreed to come together to celebrate Christmas Kalanda as one big family under the banner of our Archdiocesan District and the Central Philoptochos. In a Christian spirit of self-sacrifice for the greater common good of the Church, some parishes even forwent their traditional carols evenings in order to be part of the event. It was undoubtedly this self-sacrificial spirit – an expression of mutual love and fellowship between our parishes – that helped to bring down divine blessings that made the evening the success that it was, with well over four hundred people in attendance.
The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the inspiring voices of the St John of Damascus Byzantine Choir, comprised of chanters from across Adelaide with many decades of combined chanting experience, who chanted some of our beautiful ecclesiastical hymns for the Nativity. But they were ably supported by impressive performances from each of the metropolitan parishes that were represented. It also featured the first major public performances by the four classes of the Byzantine Music School of Australia (Adelaide branch), who had the opportunity to showcase what they had learned in their first year.
The evening’s entertainment was supplemented outside the venue by a wonderful exhibition of the Central Philoptochos bookstore, showcasing the wide variety of Orthodox books and devotional items that they now have available. And of course, it would not be an Orthodox event without food and drink – provided again by the hard-working ladies of the Central Philoptochos who supplied chips and calamari, frappé, popcorn and fasting sweets. This all contributed to the festive family atmosphere.
This event was remarkable for the fact that it was pulled together on relatively short notice, but even more remarkable in that it was done within the context of the restrictions placed on us by COVID-19. Indeed, it was precisely because of the challenges that this year has given to us all that His Grace was especially keen for this event to take place. In his address, His Grace reminded us all of the significance of the Nativity of our Lord – with His Incarnation bringing about the union of humanity and divinity in His very person. It is as a consequence of this union that through Him we are able to conquer all obstacles that may be presented to us. In what has been felt by many as a year of doom and gloom, this evening truly was a shining ray of light and a positive note from which to prepare for the feast of the birth of our Lord.
Our special evening ended through His Grace conveying the prayers and blessings of our venerable Archbishop, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia. To which the angelic voices of the St John of Damascus Choir fittingly responded by chanting the feme of His Eminence.

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia – Archdiocesan District of Adelaide

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