Hymn delivered by an Archangel

Last week we published a report and short video about the opening of an exhibition of icons from the Krakow Icon School, at the Polish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith. Polish baritone Lukasz Hajduczenia accompanied by Dimitri Tugarinou sang during the evening - and one correspondent has pointed that one of the hymns he sang is particularly significant…

Foteini Paparoupa writes: "This hymn is very special! It was delivered by an archangel to one of the monks on Mount Athos.

"The monk found a young monk (unknown to him) chanting in a chapel this hymn to Theotokos. The older monk asked him to teach him the hymn as it was a very moving one.

"The younger monk wrote the words of the hymn with his finger on a piece of marble. The marble is still there and the hymn is chanted always during Sunday service or other liturgies or prayers!"

The exhibition includes a huge 1.75metres high icon of Archangel Michael. This one and some of the smaller icons are for sale. All are painted in the traditional Byzantine way, using egg tempera, gold leaf and natural pigments on specially prepared boards. The icon of the Madonna of Suprasl took over a year to paint. The individual artists will take commissions,
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The exhibition runs until 21 July at POSK, 238-46 King Street, London W6 0RF

To watch a clip of Lukasz Hajduczenia singing the hymn on the evening visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni8QCpqNqTc

See also: ICN 9 July 2017 = London: Exhibition of work by Krakow Icon School www.indcatholicnews.com/news/32954