Journal of Orthodox Church Music

journal of the international society for orthodox church music

The Journal of Orthodox Church Music is one of the main venues for publishing Orthodox church music around the world. It is an open access publication that began in 2014 with Volume 1. The Journal focuses on a wide variety of chant traditions, including the traditions of the East. It also incorporates the proceedings of ISOCM Biennial Conferences held in Joensuu, Finland.

Origins

The ISOCM is an organization of church musicians, musicologists, and singers who study and perform Orthodox liturgical music. Founded in 2005, the organization is dedicated to providing a forum for interdisciplinary exchange and communication among Orthodox musicians. Its website offers access to scores and other materials, and it hosts conferences worldwide. To this end, it also strives to promote Orthodoxy through its activities.

Orthodox liturgical music in the West has a complicated history. As a result, many Greeks who migrated to the New World during the Westernization of sacred music in their homeland faced a difficult time performing their essential roles. Funds were scarce, making it impossible for them to employ full-time priests and invest in music programs. Eventually, cultural pressures to adapt led to the creation of polyphonic music for mixed choirs, often featuring organs and sung from choir lofts.

Editorial board

The Journal of the International Society for Orthodox Church music is an online publication focusing on the field of Orthodox Church music. It is open to submissions, and will be published in Spring 2012 as a PDF download. The Society was founded in 2004 with the blessing of Archbishop Leo of Karelia and is supported by various members of the Orthodox Church. The board includes members in various positions within the Orthodox Church and in different countries.

The Editorial Board is led by three women. The women have diverse backgrounds. Teva was raised in the Orthodox Church and has been active in her church throughout her life. She was a member of the youth ministry of the Orthodox Church and served two years as the national president. Helen has a PhD in Theology from the University of Chicago Divinity School.

Speakers

The International Society for Orthodox Church Music (ISOCM) is an international organization whose mission is to promote the art of church music. Members of the society share their knowledge and perform at conferences around the world. Its website is a valuable resource for musicians. It helps them discover new materials and exchange ideas. In addition, ISOCM strives to further the cause of Orthodoxy through its publications.

IOTA was formed by the founders of the organization with the blessing of Metropolitan Kallistos. His vision was pan-Orthodox unity.

Conference format

The ISOCM is an international organization dedicated to the study of Orthodox church music. Its mission is to advance knowledge about Orthodox church singing and to foster creativity. The organization holds two conferences each year at the University of Eastern Finland. It also sponsors regional symposia and gatherings around the world.

It publishes four issues per year, two standard issues and one double issue. It integrates with the global book trade and aims to make eternal truth accessible to all. It encourages methodologically innovative approaches and contemporary topics. It accepts submissions from writers who are active in the field, including those in the field. The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2022.

This year’s conference featured presentations from over two hundred church musicians. Speakers touched on the challenges and opportunities facing the profession. The most popular session examined how the pandemic affected the work of church musicians. This epidemic hampered the number of church musicians and restricted the types of musical responses they can offer. Those attending the conference sought ways to move forward in a post-pandemic world.

Contributors

The ISOCM is an organization of scholars and performers who promote the art of Orthodox church music. It was formed in 2005 after the First International Conference on Orthodox Church Music in Joensuu, Finland. The conference was blessed by His Eminence Archbishop Leo of Karelia. Since then, ISOCM has organized eight conferences with increasing numbers of international scholars. It works closely with universities and other institutions and is a member of the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies.

In addition to its regular publication of the Journal of Orthodox Church Music, the organization has started a journal focused on Eastern Orthodox chant traditions. The Journal, which is free to read online, incorporates proceedings of ISOCM’s biennial conferences in Joensuu, Finland.

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