Hymn List

Radio Broadcast Interview
Presvytera Katerina Sitaras Makiej will be the featured guest on the National Orthodox Christian Radio Program, "Come Receive the Light," (WEZE AM 590) on Saturday, September 29, 2001, at 3:00 pm. The program can also be heard on the World Wide Web at: www.receive.org. It will be available for listening at any time in their archives.

Ancient Hymns For Modern Times

Byzantine Chant
by
Katerina Sitaras Makiej, Presvytera
In English and Greek

Amazon.com
Holy Cross Bookstore	800-245-0599
WWW.Liturgica.com	Order-On-Line
Ellinas Multimedia	Order-On-Line
Conciliar Press	800-967-377
Light & Life	612-925-3888

"Presvytera Katerina is preeminently
'a spiritual voice from Heaven'
Her chanting and vocal production are inspirational."

Rev. Nicholas M. Kastanas, Th. D
Professor of Byzantine Music,
Holy Cross School of Theology

Hymn List

LORD, I HAVE CRIED UNTO THEE (Psalm 140) Tone 1	KYRIE EKEKRAXA (Psalmos 140) Hxos A
HEAVENLY KING Doxastikon of Pentecost, Plagal of the 2nd Tone	VASILEF OURANIE Hxos Pl B
LET EVERY BREATH PRAISE THE LORD (Psalms 148-150) Tone 1	PASA PNOI (Psalmi 148-150) Hxos A
IT IS TRULY RIGHT Plagal of the 1st Tone	AXION ESTIN Hxos Pl A
THE CHERUBIC HYMN Plagal of the 2nd Tone	HEROUVIKOS YMNOS Hxos Pl B
HOLY GOD Tone 1	AGIOS O THEOS Hxos A
WE PRAISE THEE Plagal of the 1st Tone	SE YMNOUMEN Hxos Pl A

Download RealPlayer for free

AUDIO SAMPLE

Heavenly King

Doxastikon of Pentecost, Plagal of the 2nd Tone

Glory to the Father and the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit.
Both now and forever
And unto the ages of ages.
Amen.

Heavenly King,
Comforter,
The Spirit of Truth,
Present in all places,
And filling all things,
The Treasury of blessings
And the Giver of life,
Come and abide in us,
And cleanse us, O Lord,
From all impurity,
And save our souls, O, gracious Lord.

About the CD

In the tenth century, an emissary of Prince Vladimir of Kiev wrote to him upon experiencing the music and worship of the great church of Saint Sophia in the Byzantine capitol of Constantinople, "We no longer knew whether we were in Heaven or on earth, for such beauty we know not how to tell of it."

The sound of Byzantine music is not adequately expressed in words. One must experience the peace and prayerfulness it brings to the soul in order to understand the elation of that emissary when he heard the music echoing throughout the domes of that great church. Within the musical structure of the Byzantine tones, the inner meanings of the hymns find a vehicle to penetrate our spirit, traveling through our mind, centering our whole being, and revealing the faith.

This sacred music continues to be expressed within the liturgical tradition of the contemporary Orthodox Christian Church. "ANCIENT HYMNS FOR MODERN TIMES" offers the person of today a glimpse into the enduring and timeless music of Byzantium. Katerina Sitaras Makiej chants selections from the immense treasury of Byzantine Music in English and in the original Greek.

CD review:
by FR. NICHOLAS M. KASTANAS

Ancient Hymns for Modern Times
by Presvytera Katerina Sitaras Makiej

     Byzantine Ecclesiastical chant using the eight-tone system is the par excellence "voice" of the Greek Orthodox Church. Testimony to this is the historical footnote of Russian legates visiting Constantinople in the 10th century prior to the conversion of the Slavs to Christianity proclaiming that "they were surely in heaven during worship' listening to the hymnography/music of the Great Church of the Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia).
     Many magnificent voices have interpolated the hymns over the centuries, to the Glory of God. However, very few have been female. An exception to this is the psalti Ferouz, the famous woman chanter in Arabic and Greek stand out in this author's mind. Of late, Eikona (the three sister presbyteres) has worthily produced some fine chanting in English.
     Presbytera Katerina Sitaras Makiej is preeminently "a spiritual voice from heaven" on her maiden production voyage of a handsome CD appropriately titled Ancient Hymns for Modern Times. Her chanting and vocal production are inspirational.
     As her cover so reads, a "papadopoula" (priest's daughter) hails from Morgantown, West Virginia (with paternal on the beautiful island of Chios). She studied music/voice/opera professionally at the Boston Conservatory, from which she graduated. She holds a master's degree in sacred theology from Holy Cross, where she gained some insights from this writer about Byzantine Chant.

     Married to Fr. Christopher Makiej, who serves the Andover, MA, parish, Presbytera Katerina and Fr. Chris are parents of two beautiful baby boys named Nicholas and Michael.
     Presbytera Katerina chants most prayerfully on her CD a number of traditional Byzantine form and content. She is articulate, spiritual, direct and humble. One can sense that she has fasted and prayed intensively to record these hymns; one can almost smell the fragrance of the incense burning while listening to the voice of her prayer rising to heaven.

     God bless Presbytera's special gift from God. We are grateful to the Lord and to her, for her offering. We await her next contribution with great anticipation.

Katerina Sitaras Makiej was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, the fourth child of an immigrant Greek Orthodox Priest and his wife. In 1987, she was crowned Miss Pennsylvania. She represented her Commonwealth at the 1988 Miss America Scholarship Pageant and received a talent award for her rendition of "Quando m'en vo" from Puccini's, "La Boheme." She received her Bachelor's degree in Music Education with a Concentration in voice from The Boston Conservatory, and her Master's degree in Theological Studies from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. She studied Voice with Phyllis J. Drackley and Byzantine Music under Rev. Professor Nicholas M. Kastanas, Th.D at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.

For more information contact ancienthymns@ancienthymns.com

TOP