Our Venerable Father Makarios the Protopsaltis of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Bucharest, was the most famous music teacher of his time and a great composer of ecclesiastical music. He was born in Perieți of Romania around 1770 to a pious family in which all three siblings dedicated their lives to the Church. Having a God-given love for the Church and the gift of singing, he learned to chant from an early age and learned the Greek language.
Having spent some time on Mount Athos, Saint Makarios returned to Bucharest where he served as a preacher due to his deep theological knowledge and oratory skills. He then studied Byzantine music at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople. Upon his return to Bucharest he became the abbot of Golgotha Monastery near Târgoviște. Saint Makarios re-established the old school of the monastery and served as a teacher of psalmody and a preacher.
In 1817, Venerable Makarios returned to Bucharest to study the new musical notation with Petru Efesiu. Two years later, Metropolitan Dionysius Lupu re-established the music school of the Metropolitanate of Ungrovlahia and appointed Makarios as its head. He then began to translate Greek hymns into Romanian, adapting them to the spirit and style of the Romanian people. He composed several books that were printed in Vienna, and when he returned to Romania, he worked to spread the new chants everywhere, visiting towns and villages, churches and monasteries.
He is considered the founder of Romanian ecclesiastical music, having adapted Byzantine chant to the Romanian language and style.
He chose to live the last days of his life at the Viforâta Monastery, where Mother Justina, his sister and also the abbess of the monastery, cared for him with great love.
The Venerable Makarios the Protopsaltis departed to the Lord on August 30, 1836, after a short period of suffering.
On October 26, 2023, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Romania included him in the calendar of the Romanian Church to be annually commemorated on August 31st.
Having spent some time on Mount Athos, Saint Makarios returned to Bucharest where he served as a preacher due to his deep theological knowledge and oratory skills. He then studied Byzantine music at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople. Upon his return to Bucharest he became the abbot of Golgotha Monastery near Târgoviște. Saint Makarios re-established the old school of the monastery and served as a teacher of psalmody and a preacher.
In 1817, Venerable Makarios returned to Bucharest to study the new musical notation with Petru Efesiu. Two years later, Metropolitan Dionysius Lupu re-established the music school of the Metropolitanate of Ungrovlahia and appointed Makarios as its head. He then began to translate Greek hymns into Romanian, adapting them to the spirit and style of the Romanian people. He composed several books that were printed in Vienna, and when he returned to Romania, he worked to spread the new chants everywhere, visiting towns and villages, churches and monasteries.
He is considered the founder of Romanian ecclesiastical music, having adapted Byzantine chant to the Romanian language and style.
He chose to live the last days of his life at the Viforâta Monastery, where Mother Justina, his sister and also the abbess of the monastery, cared for him with great love.
The Venerable Makarios the Protopsaltis departed to the Lord on August 30, 1836, after a short period of suffering.
On October 26, 2023, the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Romania included him in the calendar of the Romanian Church to be annually commemorated on August 31st.
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