Saint Elias Syrian Orthodox Choral Society 1930s Vinyl Record Boxset

$ 139

~~$ 139~~ (best offer accepted) Sold For

Dec 8, 2023 Sold Date

Nov 29, 2023 Start Date

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Description

Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Samuel David 1930s 78rpm Vinyl Record Boxset

Description:

"We know very little about those who recorded on the set, but the Saint Elias Syrian Orthodox Choral Society was a part of the Saint Elias Syrian Orthodox Church in Toledo, Ohio. It was established in around 1938, after the congregation of Saint George Orthodox Church split over the question of who the next Archbishop of the North American Archdiocese would be. The Syrian and Lebanese American founders of Saint Elias Syrian Orthodox Church favored Rev. Antony Bashir over Reverends Samuel David and Agapios Golam as North American Archbishop. After their break from Saint George, their new church building caught fire and they were forced to construct a new building. Hostility between to two congregations ran deeply. Families who were neighbors, once worshiped together, and whose children played together, stopped speaking and avoided one another when walking the neighborhood. The animosity continued for decades.

Perhaps in an effort to use recordings to attract younger people to Saint Elias over Saint George, the Saint Elias Syrian Orthodox Choral Society recorded and released a three-disc, 78 rpm set. The only performers’ names to appear in the album or on a record in the set are Theodore Ziton and William G. Barrow."

- Courtesy of SyrianLebaneseDiasporaSound.Blogspot

This hidden gem of the Syrian Orthodox practice showcases the beauty and depth of the Syrian Orthodox musical traditions, as well as being a surprisingly rare piece of heritage for Syrian and Lebanese immigrants and the Greek Orthodox religion as it was practiced in America in the early 20th century.

Also included with the box set is an autographed picture of Archbishop Aftimios (Ofiesh, d. July 1966) of Brooklyn, the immediate successor to St. Raphael of Brooklyn under the auspices of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was found hidden within the folds of this record book and will be included with its purchase.