New Byzantium Publications Guestbook

 

COMMENTS (from newest to oldest)

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Name:   Julia C.

Email:   jcbluesridgesinger@gmail.com

Comment:   Hi. Thank you for these resources, which I found today. I am just newly exploring Orthodoxy, and, though I grew up with sung Liturgy, it was in a Lutheran Church, so my ear has been trained in the Western musical style. I was trying to understand the Tones.

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Name:  Athena Gouios

Comment:  Thank so much for “Eis Pasa tin gein.” It was a hard Communion hymn to find. You made my day.

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Name:  Kathy Harris

Email:  harris_kathyl@yahoo.com

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Name:  Stehanous Tanner

Email:  stflaox@aol.com

Comment:   Thank you so much for all that you do. I have learned so much from the study of your pages. You provide a remarkable asset for us faithful which are far from the hub and cities.

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Name:  Voula Brown

Email:  voula@garlic.com

Comment:   I’m the choir director for the Holy Trinity GO church in San Francisco. I enjoy your music arrangements and will be trying a few for our choir. Thank you.

Answer: You’re very welcome, Voula. Let us know if you need anything specifically for your church.

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Name:  George Kafantaris

Email:  george@kafantaris.com

Comment:  Great website. I wish there was more audio to correspond with the music sheets and articles.

Answer:  George, I want to and plan to add more audio to the site when I get the chance.

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Name:   John Haydukovich

Email:   haydukovich@yahoo.com

Comment:   Great site ... I don’t have a good midi player - need mp3’s of each hymn. NEW to Greek Chant and Greek Liturgy.

Answer: MIDI files should play on any computer, at least. If you need to convert MIDI files to MP3’s, there is a freeware program to do this at:

http://download.cnet.com/Free-MIDI-to-MP3-Converter/3000-2140_4-75211970.html?part=dl-6271686&subj=dl&tag=button

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Name:   Gregory Latoja, Jr.

Email:   gregory_latoja@yahoo.com

Comment:   Great website! Great job!

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Name:   Richard England

Email:   rkengland@salisbury.edu

Comment:   As a convert, I find your collection of hymns extremely useful, especially when I have to direct the choir here in Ocean City MD! Thank you!

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Name:   Tony Vatousios

Email:   antoniosvatousios@danvers.org

Comment:   Thank you for this site. It has helped me on a short notice find stuff. I am a choir director and psaltis in Peabody, Massachusetts.

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Name:   Dimosthenis Kouskoukis

Email:   dimokous@gmail.com

Comment:   I chant in Thessaloniki, and I found your site really interesting. Congratulations.

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Name:   James Raptis

Email:   raptis@centurylink.net

Comment:   Dear Stan and Nancy: Thanks to our priests using your texts for Lenten services I have also now discovered a wealth of information for learning to chant. May Gods grace continue to shower your efforts for His glory.

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Name:   Renee Root

Email:   reneeroot@cox.net

Comment:   Hello, Nancy. Vicki Pappas directed me to your website. My Youth Choir is doing a project to learn about/ research their baptismal saints/feasts, and I found some Apolitikia I needed on your site. However, I am still in need of the hymns for St. Christina

Answer:    The apolytikion for St. Christina is the one for female martyrs, which can now be found on newbyz.org under the saints section.

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Name:   Alan T Chaddon

Email:   achaddon@bellsouth.net

Comment:   It is terrific to see this music here. I am a convert singing in Holy Trinity GOC church choir in Orlando, FL. I love the music and want to help our church do the right music during Holy Week especially. It is good to see these versions here.

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Name:   Seraphima

Email:   SShagoury@gmail.com

Comment:   Dear Stan - thank you for your hard work in compilingg all this information in English form. I dispute with you, however, the use of the term first class second class and third class Feasts, however; I would like to see this expression modified or corrected.

Answer:    I got this information from the Orthodox Wiki, so I guess it could be a matter of some debate. I’ll consult my priest.

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Name:   Dr. Abert G. Fadell

Email:   alfa4u@verizon.net

Comment:   I am trying to e-mail a letter to you, but I get a message that the recipient cannot be found. Can you send me you current e-mail address. I used takistan@yahoo.com.

Answer: That’s the correct address. Please try again.  

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Name:   Peg Basile

Email:   backhousepress@juno.com

Comment:   I’m looking for O mitran parthenikin, the Kontakion for Jan 16, 23, & Feb 6th. Thanks, Peg

Answer: Look on newbyz.org under February 2 – The Presentation of Christ in the Temple.  

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Name:   Matthew

Email:   panayotopoulos@hotmail.com

Comment:   Hi, great work Would you be able to post the Byzantine music for ÅõëïãÞóù Ôïí Êýñéïí and Åõëüãåé ç øõ÷Þ ìïõ, ôïí Êýñéïí psalm 33 and 102 and 135 Greek much appreciated. Keep it up

Answer:    Ι hope we will be able to put up some Greek Psalms in the near future. If you mean in Byzantine notation, we have decided to limit our site to using staff notation, as this is less available, and yet more universally understood.

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Name:   Dena Platingos

Email:   dplatingos@yahoo.com

Comment:   I really enjoy listening to and chanting Byzantine music.

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Name:   Peter Brooke

Email:   pbrooke@phonecoop.coop

Comment:   I’m just amazed at what you’re doing. I’m several steps short of becoming a beginner in this field (necessity through involvement in a small parish in Wales) but as the cartoonist R. Crumb would put it: Dis is de stuff.

Reply:    Yowsuh!

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Name:   Stephanie Wolff

Email:   Stephaniaberlin@t-online.de

Comment:   Thank you for your interesting and helpful work. I am an Orthodox German living in Mexico City and singing in the Greek Church. In Christ, Stephanie Wolff

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Name:   Fr. John Maheras

Email:   vze3wpw9@gmail.com

Comment:   Dear Cousin, Fr. John Maheras here. Do you by any chance have or know where I can find the Doxology in Plagal Fourth? Plus, a grammatical observation. Is it Plagal or Plagial? I have seen it both ways.

Answer:    Plagal is correct. Papa Ephraim has the Plagal Fourth Doxology on the St. Anthony’s Monastery website. I will be putting up a version by Nancy in the future.

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Name:   Rina Grosso

Email:   grosso9396@optimum.net

Comment:   Enjoyed speaking to you on the 14th. Looking forward to meeting you and Nancy in November. Enjoyed your lecture on the computer. Best regards, Rina

Answer: Thanks, Rina. We had a lot of fun in Connecticut and met some wonderful people. You have a lovely voice.

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Name:   Nikolaos Melikidze

Email:   tbroladze@rambler.ru

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Name:   Andrew White

Email:   awhite58@verizon.net

Comment:   It was very flattering to find a reference to my dissertation on your site -- glad you found it worth reading. And the resources you’ve assembled here are wonderful! I look forward to using them.

Best wishes -- Andy

P.S. -- If there is interest in a talk based on my work I’d be happy to arrange one, so keep it in mind.

Answer: Thanks, Andy, and thank you for an excellent thesis. Would love to see the National Forum arrange a talk at a Church Music Institute. I will suggest it to Vicki Pappas.

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Name:   Jon Gillespie

Email:   jon_gillespie@sweetwater.com

Comment:   I am working on a musical project, which includes an album of Greek Orthodox chant. It has not been released yet, however, as I develop the web site and prepare for release, I was hoping you might find it an interesting way to promote this wonderful music.

Answer:  Please keep me posted, Jon. My email is takistan@yahoo.com.

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Name:   Gregory

Email:   pilcher@suddenlinkmail.com

Comment:   Good site! Glad I found it. Do you have a setting in 4 parts of Let my prayer arise as incense?

Answer:  We have Kyrie Ekekraxa from Vespers in each of the eight tones in Greek and English, but none in four parts.

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Name:   Fr. John Bociu

Comment:   Thank you for such a great effort and for a wonderful, excellent, well done job. God bless you, your work and your family. 

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Name:   Melissa

Comment:   Thank you for your page. As a novice chanter, I can tell you I need as much help as time allows.

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Name:   Father Bob

Email:   Padrerta@aol.com

Comments:   Great Website! Much information and lots of music not available elsewhere. When I tried to access the guestbook via Foxfire it did not connect. When I accessed the guestbook from AOL I was able to connect.

Answer: I think the problem has been fixed and was not caused by which browser one uses. I think you connected on AOL after I fixed the problem.

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Name:   Vangeli Avgerinos

Email:   aavgerinos80@yahoo.com

Comments:   Excellent site!!!

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Name:   leanna sterios-primiani

Email:   lprimiani@gmail.com

Comments:   Great site! I’ve been looking everywhere for this info. and am thrilled to find it! I have a question for you: I’m looking for either the written music (modern notation) for the baptism service and/or a recording. Does that exist? Thanks!

Answer: Thanks, Leanna. I will try to get the baptism music for you soon. I’ll send an email.

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Name:   Mackie JV Blanton

Email:   buyurun7@yahoo.com

Comments:   MAY GOD GRANT YOU MANY YEARS

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Name:   Martha Roldan

Email:   keltyroldan@msn.com

Comments:   Hello Nancy, Last week I visited the monastery, spent 2 days sewing, stayed with Fr. Dennis and Pres. Joan. Thanks for the MIDI and pdf files in preparation for the coming feast days. Hoping to see you soon, Martha (from Annunciation Church in Muskegon)

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Name:   Michael Foster

Comments:   Thank you for all the effort in putting this together. It’s so helpful. God Bless. 

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Name:   Angelo Lampousis

Comments:   Dear Nancy and Stan, The very active Fr. Christopher Metropulos of Orthodox Christian Network introduced a new pod-cast series in collaboration with Cosmos FM and the Axion Estin Foundation. Check the (top) news at the Axion Estin homepage: http://www.axionestin.org

Answer: Thanks, Angelo, for all the hard work you put in on these things.

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Name:   Fr. Gregory Hohnholt

Email:   fathergh@gmail.com

Comments:   Fr. Stavros from Chattanouga, TN referred me. Nice web site.

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Name:   Dr. Peter Jermihov

Email:   pjermiho@triton.edu

Comments:   I am a trained musician/conductor who has directed Russian Orthodox Church music for a long time. Now, I am serving as a choir director in a Greek Orthodox Church. Your website is wonderful and so, so helpful! Thank you! Reader Peter

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Name:   Thespina Macres

Email:   choirdirectorz@comcast.net

Comments:   Thank you, thank you, needed hymns for Holy Sat AM - high school chant group. PERFECT!! Blessed Triodion!

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Name:   Stavrula Crafa

Email:   stavrula@crafa.com

Comments:   Great site. But I’m trying to find English music for the hymn for St. Stefanos. Can anyone help me? Thank you.

Answer: We do not have it here yet, but you can find one HERE.

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Name:   philip xavier

Comments:   Great work!! May God Almighty continue to bless your ministry.

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Name:   Emanuel Creekus

Email:   mcreekus@mindspring.com

Comments:   At a community Christmas concert, your arrangements were a big hit! Will send you a message through your Yahoo club.

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Name:   Christine Kerxhalli

Email:   kerxhalli@aol.com

Comments:   I can’t tell you how helpful your website has been to me. I am the A Cappella Choir Director at the Annunciation in Rochester, New York and I use Nancy’s Three-Part Harmony and New Byzantine Chant Divine Liturgy along with all your other music availability.

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Name:   Dennis

Email:   Dengreek@aol.com

Comments:   Just became aware of your site. What a great resource! I really appreciate the midi files too. Keep up the terrific work!

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Name:   Nikolaos

Email:   Nikoinwinnipeg@msn.com

Comments:   Very great source of information and chanting material that would otherwise cost lots of money. I have been using your text in our church since Easter. Thank you!

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Name:   Laura

Email:   hotshotsli@optonline.net

Comments:   What a beautiful & helpful site. I’ve been looking for the Lord’s Prayer transliteration and found the entire Liturgy transliterated! Thank You!

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Name:   Rdr. John Paise

Email:   chefjohnp@hotmail.com

Comments:   Great Site! Gleaning lots of information. Keep up the great work.

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Name:   Fr. Anastasios Gounaris

Email:   father@holytrinityindy.org

Comments:   Dear Nancy and Stan, This site is a treasure trove. May God bless and keep you both so that you may continue performing this invaluable service for our Church. May you have a meaningful Holy Week and a joyful Pascha. Fr. Taso Gounaris

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Name:   J. Johnson

Email:   abcmom3@cox.net

Comments:   Thank-you, thank-you for this website! YOU are AMAZING! It is FABULOUS! Everything I could ask for. :) Joanne Johnson Director, Sunday School Choir, St. George, Bethesda, MD.

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Name:   George Lopos

Email:   glopos@bellsouth.net

Comments:   Is anyone publishing Roubanis typeset in both Greek and English? The manuscripts are quaint, but they are difficult to follow, and especially if the singer doesn’t read Greek. Resetting them and translating it would be a great contribution to the choir.

Answer: It’s on our “to do” list, but at 300 pages, it’s a daunting task, especially a translation.

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Name:   Fotini Yiangou

Email:   FrancesTGiagkou@aol.com

Comments:   Good site .. pretty informative .. need more time to check it out more. Thank You. Ciao, Fotini

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Name:   Lisette

Comments:   Thank you. Very enthusiastic about this special site. Congratulations!

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Name:   Diane Trimis

Email:   dtrimis@hotmail.com

Comments:   Very informative. I got to the site via the SE choir federation. Your site has been saved as a favorite. As a convert, the more I learn, the more I know that I don’t know. Thanks.

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Name:   George Manos

Email:   alex5154@aol.com

Comments:   Thank you for a super effort. George Manos, Music Director, St. John the Theologian Cathedral, Tenafly, NJ

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Name:   Joanne Johnson

Email:   abcmom3@cox.net

Comments:   Junior Choir director, St. George, Bethesda, MD. THANK-YOU FOR THIS SITE!!!!!

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Name:   Terry Kastanis

Email:   tkastanis@comcast.net

Comments:   Just made copies of your new Divine Liturgy, Greek and English. You both did a wonderful job in pulling all this info. together in one volume. Thank you very much. The Forum should adopt it in total and quit this Oli Mazi stuff. Regards, Terry

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Name:   Jan Adrian

Email:   jan.adrian@sbcglobal.net

Comments:   Just checking through my e-mail after the convention and saw Vicki’s note about you and Nancy with your Website. So I am checking it out - you did a great job. Again congratulations to both of you on your award Saturday evening. Jan

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Name:   Suzy Balasis

Email:   frazzledlib@gmail.com

Comments:   I’ve just begun exploring your website, but I’m very impressed at what I’ve seen so far. Thank you for this contribution to the hymnology and practice of such in the Orthodox Church is America.

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Name:   Scott Harrington

Email:   scotthster@gmail.com

Comments:   Dear friend, I am new to Orthodoxy: prayer, etc. There is a lot to learn that is new, such as the Ochtoechos, Book of Eight Tones. Which English edition of this book would you recommend for someone new to learning Orthodox Church hymns? Always, Scott Harrington

Answer: If you just need an English translation, you can find one at: http://anastasis.org.uk/oktoich.htm

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Name:   Steffi Tassos

Email:   Steffi@KeepSafeMusic.com

Comments:   Kali spera! I am a professional singer and have been chanting for about 1 year now. My background is in popular music - in particular, Gospel, R&B, and Country - so you can imagine the challenges I face in trying to adapt my sound to the Byzantine style.

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Name:   Timothy Douglas Alvey

Email:   alveydoug@hotmail.com

Comments:   A great resource you’ve got going here. I was referred by the St. Anthony’s site when looking for a source for David Melling’s work. I was a student at the recent Koukouzelis Institute (organized by John Michael Boyer) where Fr. Ephraim (Lash) told me of Mr. Melling’s book.

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Name:   Archpriest Lawrence

Email:   lansingmelkite@aol.com

Comments:   XPICTOC ANECTI! Very nice site. It was a pleasure to meet you at our food festival.

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Name:   Fr. Elias Drossos

Email:   frelia@bellnet.ca

Comments:   What wonderful work!! A great source of information for those who wish to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for Byzantine Music. Panta Axios!!

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Name:   Jim Vardakis

Email:   ejv730@aol.com

Comments:   I just opened your website through Vicki. It is very interesting. I will look further into it and let you know.

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Name:   Presvytera Pat Tsagalakis

Email:   p.tsagalakis@comcast.net

Comments:   Nancy, Thank you so much for all of us at Holy Apostles in Shoreline, WA. This morning our choir sang your arrangement with great joy Let all Mortal Flesh - the entire congregation was singing with us as it matched our Holy Week book translation. THANK YOU!

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Name:   George Mazarakis

Email:   george@carteblanche.co.za

Comments:   Congratulations on your invaluable work and thank you so very much! I run a small choir in Johannesburg, South Africa at the Chapel of the Greek School, SAHETI. MANY, MANY THANKS!

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Name:   Joanne Patrick

Email:   gabep@ptd.net

Comments:   Thank you for your website. I am choir director of Holy Spirit OCA in Wantage, NJ. A most joyous Pascha to you! JP

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Name:   Christina

Comments:   Beautifully done.

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Name:   Vivi

Email:   vivi_astefanei

Comments:   Buna Ziua! Este foarte frumos si de buna calitate ceea ce am gasit ca informatie pe acest sitte , ma bucur si sper sa afle si altii despre dumneavoastra. Cu respect din Romania, Kassia

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Name:   Najeeb Haddad

Email:   phati129@yahoo.com

Comments:   It’s a great relief to find all these texts! God bless you.

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Name:   Lara Willingham

Email:   larawillingham@yahoo.com

Comments:   Thank you so much for publishing our beautiful Orthodox hymns with English texts and Western notation! I am an American musician who converted to Orthodoxy 10 years ago. I enjoyed singing the beautiful hymns in the choir with our accomplished well-trained director.

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Name:   Diana Ott

Email:   dianaott@juno.com

Comments:   Dear Nancy and Stan, Thanks for all the work you do on this web site; it is an invaluable resource for Orthodox musicians. Nancy, you truly have an amazing gift; your settings of hymns in English never fail to be graceful and natural.

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Name:   Artemis Palios

Email:   jpalios1@tampabay.rr.com

Comments:   Dear Nancy, I enjoyed meeting you and Stanley in Milwaukee and enjoyed your workshops too. I plan to use some of your arrangements with my choir—they’re wonderful.

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Name:   George Dalagelis

Email:   eleos3@verizon.net

Comments:   Dear Stan & Nancy: It was nice meeting and chating with you in Nashville. I have been using your material quite often and I am grateful for the bilingual pieces. Any chance of having a complete Liturgy in Byzantine Chant First / Plagal First Tone (D minor)?

Answer: The Plagal First liturgy is now on the website.

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Name:   Stephen Reynolds

Email:   stephen_r1937@yahoo.com

Comments:   Stan, there is a lot of fine stuff here--thanks! I’m looking at your Name That Tone essay, which I want to hand out to our parish group that is learning Byzantine notation.

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Name:   Stole

Email:   mlsvk@yahoo.com

Comments:   Brothers, my name is Stole. I am psalt. I love very much Byzantine music and I want a CD from this company. I am poor man. I not have money. GOD WITH YOU.

Answer: We have not yet produced a CD of the music here. Please refer to our MP3 page for free sound recording downloads.

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Name:   Cathy

Email:   cathtwlight@wol.co.za

Comments:   We are a poor seminary in Johannesburg that deals with street children, the poor and the homeless. Thank you for this wonderful source of translated Greek into English for us to learn. St. Raphael Seminary. Our priest is Father Athanasi Akunda.

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Name:   George Black

Email:   jorhay1@yahoo.com

Comments:   Glory to God for all things! Dear Mr. Takis, Just a little note of appreciation and thanks for you and your family’s hard work on this beautiful and informative web site. I also value and have learned much from you and your input on the yahoo chant forums.

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Name:   Michael Khoury

Email:   michael.khoury@usa.net

Comments:   Stan, I saw the reference to your site and some of your posts on the PSALM list. While I belong to an American parish in Detroit, I am interested in learning about the chant form and will visit. Michael

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Name:   Volkert Nicholas Volkersz

Comments:   Stan, Thanks for all the help and information you’ve provided me as I begin to embrace Byzantine music. And thanks for the stimulating discussion you provide on the PSALM list.

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Name:   George Tzougros

Comments:   Thank you for this wonderful resource! The choir here in Madison, Wisconsin loves your Enite that combines both Greek and English. I found it here on your site! Again, thank you.