H.H. Pope Tawadros II praised the performance presented by the St. Cyril Coptic European Choir and Orchestra at the conclusion of the concert organized by the Coptic choir at the Hall of Raised Hands in St. Mark’s Coptic Academy, LOGOS Center, Wadi El-Natroun.

His Holiness attended the concert, which bore the title “Parousia,” a Greek ecclesiastical term referring to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The concert program included selections from the Divine Liturgies of Saints Gregory and Basil, portions of the Midnight Praises, Holy Pascha Week, and the Night of Apocalypse, interwoven with readings from the books of the Holy Bible.

The St. Cyril Choir, conducted by Maestro Michael Henein, performed most of the hymns in the Coptic language, within an atmosphere filled with reverence and spirituality befitting the content, which aimed to portray the Second Coming of the Lord Christ according to the vision of the Coptic Orthodox Church.

His Holiness greeted the members of the choir and orchestra, saying, “It was as though we had spent an hour in heaven.” He added that the blend of liturgical hymns and responses, melodies from the praises, and passages from the Holy Bible in both the Old and New Testaments—especially from the Book of Psalms—rendered in the beautiful Coptic melody, was truly exceptional. This marks the first time that this choir has performed in Egypt, having previously presented concerts in numerous countries since its establishment fifteen years ago. His Holiness commended the conductor, Maestro Michael Henein, and invited them to repeat their visit to present further distinguished performances.

He concluded by emphasizing that the hymns presented reveal the beauty of Coptic music with its distinctive melodies, noting that “the word proceeds from the mind to the tongue, while the melody proceeds from the heart.”

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