
V. Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan, Dean and Professor of Liturgical Studies at St. Nersess Armenian Seminary will deliver a lecture entitled, "Armenian Hymns of the Cross: Setting, Significance and Sound" at the Seminary on Monday, February 13 at 7:00 PM.
Fr. Findikyan will speak about the origin and function of a large body of Armenian hymns associated with the Feasts of the Cross. A number of these hymns, he will show, were originally composed in Jerusalem. They were sung perhaps as early as the 4th century at the holy places of Christ's death and resurrection, and in the ancient Christian Church of Sion, located just outside the Armenian Quarter of the Old City.
The lecture is dedicated to the memory of Abp. Tiran Nersoyan, Founder of St. Nersess Seminary. Tiran Srpazan was a great scholar of the worship traditions of the Armenian Church. Each year a lecture on the of the Armenian Church's worship is presented at the Seminary to pay homage to this great visionary in the modern history of the Armenian Church.
Before earning his Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome (1997), Fr. Findikyan earned two simultaneous Master's degrees: one in Theology (1989) and the other in Musicology (1990). He also did coursework in the History of Armenian Music at the Komitas Conservatory in Yerevan.
Monday evening's lecture is part of an entire course that Fr. Findikyan is offering this Spring entitled, Armenian Hymnography: History, Theology, Function. The course presents a broad overview of the Armenian Church's sacred music, with emphasis on its historical development, relationship to the hymn traditions of other churches, meaning, and relevance for today. The course is open to all interested.
Monday's lecture too is free and open to the public. A reception will be offered following the lecture. For further information contact the Seminary at info@stnersess.edu or by telephone: (914) 636-2003.