His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel Awarded The “Patriarchal Cross” For Lay To Protopsalt Theodoros Vassilikos

Romanian Orthodox Church

On 27 May, a concert of Byzantine music was performed in “Patriarch Teoctist Aula Magna” of the Patriarchal Palace, by the great Greek protopsalt (first religious soloist) Theodoros Vassilikos, in the presence of over nine hundred spectators. The Tronos group of psalts (religious singers) of the Romanian Patriarchate conducted by protopsalt deacon Mihail Buca, performed together with him.

His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church attended this concert together both with His Grace Mihail, Romanian Orthodox Bishop for Australia and New Zealand and with His Grace Ciprian Campineanul, Assistant Bishop to the Patriarch.

The famous Greek protopsalt Theodoros Vassilikos thanked the Patriarch of Romania and the audience present at the event for the warm reception. The great protopsalt was delighted by the concert the Tronos group of psalts performed, about whom he said they would become the best choir in the whole Orthodoxy: “I felt the people were just flying to heaven when this choir of the Romanian Patriarchy sang this hymn. In a few years time I may not be still alive, but you will remember me and I tell you that this choir may be the first in the whole Orthodoxy and in the whole world”.

After the concert, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church thanked Mr. Vassilikos for the blessing of the Holy Spirit conveyed through the Byzantine music performed: “We thank especially Mr. Theodprps Vassilikos for the great joy to have conveyed us the blessing of the Holy Spirit through the religious chants and to have shown us how much the Byzantine Orthodox music bring the peoples together in the joy and love of the Holy Trinity. The music sung in the church relates the sacred space to the sacred time and the religious music consecrates the time of performance and the space where we listen to it, no matter if we are in the church or at home. Through the Byzantine music any space becomes a church and any time becomes the time of consecration and salvation”, informs us Trinitas Radio station.

The Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church said that he had listened to the great protopsalt while he was studying in the West and that the great charisma of Mr. Theodoros Vassilikos is to show the eternal youth of the Byzantine music, while his music urges us to prayer and joy, calls us to pass from superficiality to depth, from the triviality of the life to the mystery of existence.

The Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church awarded “The Patriarchal Cross” and the medal of “Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen” to the famous protopsalt Theodoros Vassilikos: “We wish to award you the highest distinction for the lay Orthodox faithful, “The Patriarchal Cross” and (…) the Medal of “Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen” as a sign of appreciation for your presence here, as well as for your entire Orthodox missionary work. We also wish to offer you the album of this Cathedral in which – as already said – the Greek and the Romanians religious singers sang, so that tonight we returned to a beautiful tradition and we would like to have other such holidays too”, said His Beatitude.

The concert was part of the programme of the festivities organized on the occasion of the day of Saint Ioan Rusu, protector of the Polizu church maternity, celebrated yesterday, 27 May 2010.

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