Hierarchical Matins

When a bishop visits the local parish, the order of the Matins service changes
slightly. It is the purpose of this tutorial to aid the Cantor in regarding these
changes so that the service may progress smoothly, with as little stress as
possible. The hierarchy expects that Cantors, as well as the rest of the clergy,
know the proper liturgical actions, which reflect his hierarchical rank.
The rubrics herein contained are normal for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.
The practices of other jurisdictions may differ.

The Arrival of the Bishop

The Bishop does not normally attend the beginning of Matins, but if he does, the
Cantor should sing Eis poll ti spota1 when the petition for the Bishop is said
during the Great Litany. If he is not in attendance, it is not necessary to chant this
acclamation.
The Bishop normally arrives in the middle of the Matins service, during the
recitation of the Kontakion, kos, and Synaxarion, and the service should be
timed, if possible, to coincide precisely with his arrival. He enters the Nave and
stands at the center of the Solea outside the Royal Gates until the readings are
completed.
At the conclusion of the Synaxarion, the Bishop will raise his hand to bless East,
North, South and West. When the Bishops arm is raised, the Cantors begin
singing the slower Eis poll ti spota.2 The chant should be performed slowly
enough so that it ends as the Bishop finishes his blessing and ascends his throne.

Katavai
A book containing the prescribed set of Katavasi should be placed handily at
the Hierarchical Throne, so that he may have access to it. The Bishop begins with
the first Katavasia and alternates with the Cantors until the Eighth Ode. The
Cantor will be expected to know the proper order for chanting the Katavasi,
and which Odes to finish by chanting the final words. This information can be

1Eis poll ti spota, which means Many years to you, O Master, is proclaimed each time the
Bishop raises his arm to bless. It is pronounced, Ees poh-LAH eh-tee THESS-poh-ta, with the
TH as the th in That. It is here spelled with the old Anglo-Saxon thorn symbol to remind the
Cantor not to sing it as a D sound.
2Music for this chant and the longer Ton espten can be found at the Matins Web sites Music
page.
found at the Links and Tutorials page of our Web site under the tutorial titled
Chanting the Katavasi.
It is basically a good practice to allow the Bishop to begin every set of hymns,
because he is actually taking the rle of First Cantor at this point in the service.

Gospel
During the Gospel reading, the Bishop descends from his throne out of respect
for the Scripture. It is a good practice for Cantors using Stasiia (the high-armed
Cantors stands) to dismount from their places as well. This not only shows
respect for the Gospel, but for the Bishop as well, because you should not be
physically in a higher position than he at any time.
If Having seen the Resurrection is said after the Gospel, it is the Bishops
prerogative to recite it.
During the chanting of Psalm 50 (which occurs on a normal Sunday), the Priest
will carry the Gospel book first to the Bishop for veneration. This occurs during
the verse For behold, You have loved truth... The verse should be sung slowly and
deliberately, with more melody than usual.

Megalynaria & Exaposteilaria

The Bishop leads the singing of the prescribed set of Megalynaria by chanting the
first stanza. He alternates with the Cantors until the Ninth Ode Katavasia, which
he sings.
Again, the Bishop leads the singing of the Exaposteilaria by beginning the
preamble Holy is the Lord our God (if sung) as well as singing the first
Exaposteilarion. It will be necessary here for the Cantor to complete the preamble
by singing the final words for He is holy, which allows the Bishop to then sing
the first Exaposteilarion.

Lauds
Near the completion of the last Exaposteilarion, one of the Cantors should move
to the center of the Solea, bow and make the Sign of the Cross facing the altar,
then turn toward the Bishop. When the singing has finished, the Cantor should
say loudly, Eis poll ti spota, and bow toward the Bishop. Upon receiving
his blessing, the Cantor then asks the Hierarch to take command so to speak of
the singing of Lauds. He does this by chanting the words, Klefson spota
yi-e3, followed by the name of the Mode, which in Greek are:

3 i.e. , ...
 Mode 1 ekhos4 prtos
Mode 2 ekhos fteros
Mode 3 ekhos trtos
Mode 4 ekhos ttartos
Mode pl. 1 ekhos plyios too prtoo5
Mode pl. 2 ekhos plyios too eftroo
Mode Grave ekhos varEEs
Mode pl. 4 ekhos plyios too tetrtoo

For example, if Lauds is to be sung in Mode pl. 1, the Cantor would intone:
Klefson, spota yie, ekhos plyios too prtoo, which basically means,
Command, holy Master, Mode Plagal of the First.

The style in which this exclamation is intoned differs. Conservative Cantors will
chant it somewhat plainly, while it is customary elsewhere to intone this
statement in the actual Mode being commanded. This practice can be
particularly handy if the Bishop is known to have a very high or very low voice
(or simply cant sing at all), which can put a strain on the Cantors ability by
making them sing in a range uncomfortable to them. This method of intonation
would give the hierarch a gentle hint as to the range needed. Whether he follows
your hint is another issue.
When the Bishop begins chanting Let every breath6 the Cantor who has intoned
the Klefson approaches the Bishops throne and bows, seeking his blessing.
Having received it, he returns to the rest of the Choir.

Kairs
When the Bishop finishes Let every breath the Cantors continue through the end
of Praise Him all you7 At this point the Bishop descends from his throne to
begin reciting Kairs. The Cantors break off the normal course of the Lauds
chants to sing the melismatic version of Ton espten8. Music for this chant can
be found on the Music page of our Web site. The score is long to accommodate
the time it takes to complete the Kairs if not performed too quickly. Give the
process about 4 minutes.

4 ekhosmeans Mode or Tone. Accent on the first syllable, ee as in feet, kh is the rough h sound
5 plyiospronounced PLAH-yi-ohs; too is pronounced like the English too.
6 i.e. .
7 i.e. ...
8 .
Near the end of the Kairs, the other Cantors should watch for the Bishop to turn
and bless the congregation before entering through the Beautiful Gates. This
does not always coincide with the Eis poll eti spota part of the chant, so it is a
good practice for the other Cantors to chime in with a quicker Eis poll eti when
they see the Bishop blessing.
Once the Bishop enters the Sanctuary and the Beautiful Gates are closed, he will
begin vesting. The Cantors now continue with Lauds at the first versicle and
sticheron. As it may take a while for the Bishop to vest, it is best to sing the
Lauds hymns in the slower, sticheraric style. A runner should be assigned to
check with the Sanctuary on the progress of the vesting.