Texan Brewery, Russian Iconographer

On a recent trip to Texas, I encountered a beer which took me by surprise, not for the fact that it was a creative blend of hefeweissen yeast  and Amarillo hops (though that was delightful) but because of its name and label. The beer is called “ICON” and featured a two-tone icon of St. Arnold,…

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Iconography in Euless, TX

Our readers may remember a post we published late last summer about a new temple which was built for St. John the Baptist in Euless, TX. Since that time, iconographer Vladimir Grygorenko has completed the frescoes in the Altar area; The Hierarchs, The Communion of the Apostles, The Panagia, and Pentecost. Please visit Mr. Grygorenko’s…

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Cappella Romana to Sing “in Hagia Sophia”, in California

Cappella Romana will be singing two concerts, Friday and Saturday nights, at Stanford University in California. Friday’s concert in Stanford’s Bing Concert Hall,”From Constantinople to California”, will by the wonders of acoustic technology, replicate the reverberative sound of the Great Church itself (read about the fascinating method employed below). Those lucky enough to have gotten…

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Orthodox Homiletics: A New Website

When we think of the traditional Orthodox liturgical arts, we most often think about the tactile and the sensory; gilded icons glowing with candlelight cast from iron chandeliers, the smell of incense wafting as the priest walks censing the believers as the choir sings praises to the Theotokos. One thing that doesn’t necessarily come to…

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New Musica Russica Website

In order to celebrate its 25th anniversary, Musica Russica – a publisher and supplier of a broad spectrum of Orthodox musical recordings – has launched a new, more user-friendly website. OAJ contributor Vladimir Morosan, the founder and director of Musica Russica, said the newly-revamped site will “…make your interaction with our offerings much richer, more…

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OAJ at Work

I would like to draw the readers’ attention to this video. It features OAJ contributor and icon carver Jonathan Pageau in action, and some of his finished works. The Gospel cover and the pectoral crosses were collaborative efforts with OAJ founder, Andrew Gould. The music is Psalm 103, Valaam Chant, by the St. Tikhon’s Mission…

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Interview with Vladimir Gorbik

Late in June, St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary held a Master Class taught by Russian choral composer and conductor Vladimir Alexandrovich Gorbik. The seminary published an interview with Gorbik which will be of special interest to our readers. In it, Gorbik reflects on the Master Class and its students, as well as providing some insights…

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St. John the Baptist – Euless, Texas

On Saturday, June 14, St. John the Baptist (GOA) parish in Euless, Texas formally opened their beautiful new temple. Metropolitan Isaiah of Denver presided over the Thyranixia – the Opening of the Doors – after which the parish celebrated the first liturgy in their new Byzantine-style cruciform basilica. The building is among the best and most…

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Divine Temple 2012

I would like to draw the reader’s attention to this wonderful publication from Russia. Kolomenskaya Versta Ltd. produces albums, manuals, catalogs and postcards featuring and publicizing contemporary iconography and liturgical art. The fourth edition of their catalog of iconographers, “Divine Temple”  is now available. It is printed in English and Russian. From the publisher: We…

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