At the invitation of HE Metropolitan Nicolae, in the “Solemn Year of the Pastoral Care of Romanians Abroad,” under the direction of Archdeacon Mihail Bucă, five members of the Byzantine ChoirTronos from the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest were present between September 7-9 at the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral Saints Constantine and Helen, Chicago, for the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God.
Their schedule began on Tuesday evening, September 7, 2021, with the service of Great Vespers for the great feast, followed by a concert of Byzantine chants in honor of the Mother of God, and patriotic chants. The faithful of the Cathedral, who were present in large numbers, appreciated the quality of the voices and the enthusiasm of the group’s members, conveyed through Byzantine chant. Alongside the beautiful hymns dedicated to the Mother of God, several chants were added that evoked the heroism and the Christian witness of the saints of the Romanian people.
Wednesday, September 8, at the feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God, the fiver members of the Tronos group were present for the Holy Liturgy, chanting hymns in honor of the Mother of God. At the homily, HE Metropolitan Nicolae talked about the joy and hope with which this feast, the first great feast of the ecclesiastical year, invites us to journey through the new year:
„The Forefathers Joachim and Anna prayed, had hope and much patience that their family might be blessed with a child. The birth of the Virgin Mary brought a joy that had been unhoped for, since it represented not only the annulment of the curse and the outpouring of blessing on their family, but joy for the entire world, since it was the sign of the beginning of the work of salvation for mankind. Every Christian can follow their example and put their hope in God’s providence for himself and his family, to which he can add persistent and patient prayer.”
HE Metropolitan Nicolae wished Many Years! to the faithful named after the Mother of God and thanked Reverend Archdeacon Mihail and the members of the Tronos group for their participation in this feast alongside the community of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Emperors, Chicago.
The tour of the choir continues in other parishes of the Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese of the United States of America as it has been previously announced.
The TRONOS Byzantine group of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest is one of the most renowned Byzantine groups of Romania. The name is reminiscent of one of the groups forming the heavenly hosts, called “Thrones,” being named as such in 2007 by HB Patriarch DANIEL, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Under the guidance of its conductor and founder, Reverend Archdeacon Mihail Bucă, the group held many concerts on music scenes, in cathedrals and churches, both in Romania and abroad. With an uninterrupted activity for over 20 years, the Byzantine group TRONOS is one of the most appreciated in Romania as a result of the emulation that it produced among young people and groups of Byzantine music. This is owed thanks to the support of Patriarch DANIEL, and to the TRINITAS Radio and Television channel of the Romanian Patriarchate.
Over the years, the Byzantine group TRONOS released several Compact Discs and two Digital Video Discs, and was appreciated for its specific sonority, coming from voices vibrating with penetrating force and exquisite musicality. Likewise, as a result of the collaboration of certain members of the group who have shown talent in composition, three books in the “TRONOS” collection were published at the Presses of the Romanian Patriarchate, including a beautiful anthology of carols and two services for the patron saints of the Patriarchal Cathedral.
