By Nick Stamatakis
This is truly a unique musical and cultural experience! Absolutely perfect for the Holy Week and especially tomorrow morning – Good Friday! It’s a concert sponsored by St. Maxim, the Greek Insitute (link here) of Mt.Athos. This non-profit organization promotes “research, recording, rescue, dissemination, showcasing, and promotion of the World Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Wealth and Inventory.” Indeed, this amazing concert was experienced by the thousands of spectators at the filled-to-capacity Herodeion Theater, under the Acropolis of Athens, on 29 September 2022. Those of you who have attended a concert or other cultural event at Herodeion, have already tasted the magic of this wonderful place. this concert devoted to the “Great Hours” of the Orthodox Church” is exceptional. You can read more information about the performers in the space below the video.
What Are the Great Hours?
The Service of the Great Hours, also known as the Service of the Royal Hours or simply the Great/Royal Hours, is a service of the Orthodox Church held only three times each year: on Christmas Eve, Epiphany Eve, and the morning of Good Friday. Suppose the Eve of Christmas or Epiphany is a Saturday or Sunday. In that case, the Great Hours are celebrated on the previous Friday, and on that Friday, the celebration of the Divine Liturgy is prohibited. You can learn more by linking here.
About Jonathan Jackson
What makes this performance even more unique is the participation of Jonathan Jackson as a singer. Some of you may remember him as an actor from “General Hospital” (you can read his full biography here). The most exciting part is this: In 2012, Jackson and his family were baptized into the Eastern Orthodox Church. Jackson cited a trip to Romania and Rome that first brought his attention to learning about the history of Christianity. In his acceptance speech for his 2012 Daytime Emmy Award, he thanked the Holy Trinity and the monks in the Orthodox monastic enclave Mount Athos. Jackson later explained in an interview, “These people [are] dedicating their lives to prayer, and not just praying for themselves, but truly praying for all of us. And then the thought crossed my mind: with all the destruction, chaos and insanity that goes on in this world, if their prayers weren’t happening, what would this world be like? I felt, personally, like I just wanted to thank them because I really believe that their prayers mean a lot.”
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GREAT HOURS
composed by ANDREAS KATSIGIANNIS with texts by ALEXANDROS FOTEINOS
with the ATHENS STATE ORCHESTRA conducted by STATHIS SOULIS
Singers: GLYKERIA, DIMITRIS BASIS, JONATHAN JACKSON and ELEANNA VARELA
A magical night was experienced by the thousands of spectators at the filled to capacity Herodion Theater on 29 September 2022. The sold-out performance of the “Great Hours”, a multidimensional musical work by the composer Andreas Katsigiannis, featured the Athens State Orchestra under the direction of the conductor Stathis Soulis. The moving performances of Glykeria, Dimitris Bassis, Eleanna Varela and the five time Emmy award winning American musician and actor, Jonathan Jackson, together with 100 choristers from three different choirs, created one of the most devout moments experienced below the “Sacred Rock” of the Acropolis. The great protagonist, Nikitas Tsakiroglou, in the role of the narrator, connected the multi-faceted musical trilogy of the composer uniquely. Two albums, “The Place of Silence” (Tis Siopis o Topos) and “Full of Grace” (Keharitomeni), from the trilogy of the composer Andreas Katsigiannis, premiered at this concert. In “The Place of Silence” – Mount Athos – the presence of the Light is constantly experienced throughout “The Great Hours”. And the hours become greater still when the eternal Mother of Light, through “Full of Grace” transmits her Light to those who seek it.
The performance, as a devout prayer, was heard like the rustling of the wind under the canopy of the virtuous Athonite sky all the way to the Athenian heavens. The two albums “Tis Siopis o Topos” and “Keharitomeni” are released on CD and vinyl and on all digital platforms Texts by Alexandros Foteinos Lyrics: Alexandros Foteinos, Lina Nikolakopoulou, Elli Fotaki The choirs participated: “Chorus Vivendi”, conductor Giannis Vryzakis Choir “Melodoi”, conductor Georgios Ziakas Choir of the University of Thessaly, conductor Nikos Chiotoglou ESTOUDIANTINA – Solo musicians: Alexandros Arkadopoulos, wind Stefanos Dorparakis, qanun Markos Arlan Oscar, keyboards Philipps Retsios, piano Apostolos Valaroutsos, guitars Nikos Mermigas, lafta, laouto Takis Vassiliou, percussion Orchestrations: Dimitris Mathiopoulos, Dimitrios Siambos, Apostolos Tsiarkas, Andreas Katsigiannis Sound design and engineering: Giorgos Kariotis Directors: Marios Retsilas, Panagiotis Podaropoulos Television direction and montage: Nikolas Economides PRODUCTION: Pemptousia #greathours #pemptousia #andreaskatsigiannis
