I was first moved aesthetically, spiritually, emotionally by the beauty in the Eastern Churches. This music raises the mind to lofty thoughts. I had no idea how legalistic, partisan, inhospitable and ugly the Canadian Roman Catholic Churches would turn out to be. For posterity’s sake, here are some of the voices and songs that I loved. Number five is one of the first Psalms I found. I still recall being struck by the words and how they seemed to suit how I felt at the time, even though they were thousands of years old. I know this music isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I love it. When I lived in Korea, Koreans liked English things that I thought were very uncool so I have no hesitation to express appreciation for Russian things that Russians are embarrassed about or dislike.
Fayrouz Agni Parthene | Reema Rahbany
St. John the Baptist Monastery – Douma, April 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th4a6FozNlw