sticheron

Etymology

From Greek στιχηρό (stichiró), from Ancient Greek στιχηρός (stikhērós, “written in lines”).

Why this word is great

STICHERON — [Noun] A hymn, often written in cycles and sung in alternation with psalm verses, used in the Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite. From Greek στιχηρό (stichiró), from Ancient Greek στιχηρός (stikhērós, "written in lines"). Unlike a "troparion" (a shorter, interpolated refrain) or a "doxastikon" (a sticheron specifically sung after "Glory"), the sticheron is the steady, measured pulse of Byzantine chant—a thread of melody woven through the fabric of liturgy. It is the slow unfurling of voices in a dimly lit nave, the scent of incense curling around the syllables of scripture, the weight of centuries pressing into each deliberate note. A sticheron does not hurry; it knows the faithful will wait.

noun

  1. A hymn, often written in cycles and sung in alternation with psalm verses, used in the Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite.