GERMAN DIOCESE: April 8, 2013
The 9th Annual Meeting of Orthodox Parish Choirs in Munich

On March 24, 2013, the Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, the 9th Annual Meeting of Orthodox Parish Choirs took place. This year, choruses gathered under the vaulted ceilings of the Greek Orthodox Church of All Saints in Munich. In additional to Orthodox choirs, Coptic and Armenian choruses participated this year.

Professor Athanasios Vletsis of Munich’s Institute of Orthodox Theology addressed the participants with a short lecture on apophatic and kataphatic Orthodox theology. The existence of this institute is a boon for the Orthodox Christians of Munich: its students are able to learn about the practices of various Local Churches, discuss current events with its teachers and take advantage of its library. In addition to the annual choral gatherings, Orthodox Christians also meet at the beginning of each school semester, which traditionally begins with divine services in one of the Orthodox churches of Munich.

The Cathedral of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia will host the choir meeting next year, which will have a different format, with a joint vespers service instead of a concert.

Two monasteries of the Russian Church Abroad are located in Bavaria, a men’s monastery and a convent, and twelve parishes: three Greek; two belonging to ROCOR; one under the Moscow Patriarchate; a Georgian parish, two Serbian churches, and one each of the Bulgarian and Rumanian Churches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s5htj2bae8

The choir of St Job of Pochaev Monastery in Munich can be heard here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=qjQ4zHs7fa4