Holy Trinity Choir

About us

The Holy Trinity Choir devotedly sings the Divine Liturgy on most Sunday mornings from October through June.

Choir members have a unique opportunity to develop a deep understanding of services through the musical history and tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

As a choir member, you will play an integral part in cultivating a spiritual and reflective atmosphere for our community during liturgy.

Is choir right for you?

  • Our choir includes adult and young adult singers from the Holy Trinity community.

  • Community members as young as 16 are welcome to join. Young choir members should additionally be students of music in an academic setting (school choir, private lessons, etc).

  • All choir members are expected to be able to match pitches and rhythms, and have at least a vague familiarity with western music notation.

  • Learning aides are available through our choir portal to ease the process of learning the music.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals take place in the Choir Loft. Rehearsals run about 2 hours with a mid-rehearsal fellowship break.

Services

Services are sung from the Choir Loft. Warm up and review are in the Conference room about 30 minutes prior to services. Hot tea is provided during morning warm-ups!

Ready to join?

Junior Choir

Ages: Grades 5 through 12

Director: Georgeann Mavrovitis

Description: The Holy Trinity Junior Choir consists of middle school and high school aged parishioners. They sing the entire Divine Liturgy a few times every year. They also perform outside of the services, at dinners and other events. 

Please email info@holytrinitynr.org for more information

Prosphoro Baking

Prosphoro - which means "an offering" - is an ancient tradition in the Orthodox Church.

For the entire history of the Church, Christians have baked and brought bread to the for the Sacred Meal, Holy Communion. Prosphoro is specially-made bread, impressed with a seal, that is cut by the priest in a service called the "Proskomide" during which he prays for the living and the dead. The center portion, the Amno or Lamb, is that piece which will be consecrated during the Divine Liturgy. This is the bread that becomes the Body of Christ. 

Prosphoro Recipe

Ingredients

  • 6 cups country or all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups tepid water (100 ºF)
  • 1 recipe, Traditional Sourdough Starter {not reproduced here} or
  • 1 oz fresh yeast or
  • 2 teaspoons dry yeast

Procedure

  1. If using sourdough starter, reactivate it the night before. Otherwise, dissolve the yeast in one halfcup of the tepid water.
  2. Add 3-4 tablespoons flour and mix well. Let it stand for about 10 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
  3. Meanwhile sift the flour with the salt into a kneading basin and make a well in the center.
  4. Pour in the sour-dough starter or the yeast mixture and the remaining tepid water.
  5. Gradually incorporate flour from the sides of the well into the water until all the flour is moist, and knead until a smooth and elastic dough is formed.
  6. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Knead the dough again for about 5 minutes and divide into 4 equal parts. Shape each part into a ball.
  7. Slightly flatten the balls into rounds, pressing with your palms, and flour them generously.
  8. Put the two rounds, one on top of the other, in a well-floured baking pan.
  9. Dip the religious seal in flour, shake off the excess and press it firmly onto the floured surface.
  10. Let the seal remain on dough for about 5 minutes and carefully remove it. Place the other two rounds, the same way, onto a separate pan.
  11. Cover and leave in a warm place to rise until doubled in bulk. Just before baking, prick inside and outside corners of cross with a wooden skewer to attain a flat-top appearance of the breads.
  12. Bake in a 400 ºF oven for 15-20 minutes, taking care not to burn them. As soon as they are removed from the oven, brush them with a little water, using a pastry brush.
  13. Cover the altar breads with a cotton towel and leave them to cool on a rack.

Altar Servers

Age: Boys, Grades 5 through 12

Description: Starting in 5th Grade and throughout High School, we welcome young men of our parish to serve at the Holy Altar as acolytes. Under the guidance of Fr. Nick and Fr. Demetrios, they carry candles, fans, and censers in procession, learn about our sacred services, experience Holy Communion, and cultivate discipline and humility before God. Ultimately, we hope this experience encourages them to consider the possibility of ordained ministry in their lives.. 

Altar servers play a vital role in the sanctuary by diligently lighting candles, carefully burning incense, carrying bowls of freshly baked bread, and thoughtfully handling boiling water during their sacred service. Their responsibility contributes significantly to the overall experience of worship for the congregation. They are trained by Fr. Nick and Fr. Demetrios, with help from experienced peers. Parents are encouraged to prepare their sons to perform these tasks responsibly and respectfully.

To sign up please email Fr. Demetri at frdemetrios@holytrinitynr.org

Psaltes (Chanters)


About our Chanters

Director/Protopsaltes: Dr. Joseph Pantginis

Singing in the traditional musical form of the Orthodox churches of Greek extraction, Byzantine Music - or - the Psaltic Art, our chanters can most often be heard during the Orthros service before Divine Liturgy. During the summer months, and when we have weekday services, the chanters typically sing the Liturgy as well.

Axion Estin Foundation

Our Chanters have founded the Axion Estin Foundation, which produces programming, events and publications in a comprehensive effort to broaden understanding and audience for Byzantine Music in the United States.

Learn more about the Axion Estin Foundation »

Welcoming Committee

In our own philoxenia - or hospitality - our Welcoming Committee members wear a pineapple pin the customary symbol of hospitality.

The Icon of the Holy Trinity which is in our Narthex and on our Icon Screen is called the "Hospitality of Abraham" and depicts the three strange youths who visited Abraham. They were angels and a prefigurement of the revelation of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

We open our doors to any and all who would want to "come and see" the beauty of the Kingdom of God.

Whether our guests are Orthodox, or inquirers looking for the Church of Christ, or anywhere in between, our Welcoming Committee seeks to greet them with the warmth and love of Jesus Christ. The members of the committee seek to make sure guests feel at home here, meeting them in the Narthex and finding them a place in the Nave. After the service, our committee members try to make connections for the guests, to find a table at the coffee hour and to introduce them to other parishioners. This is our home, and we hope you will make it yours as well. Our Welcoming Committee has taken the responsibility to ensure it!