On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, members and friends of the Trikala Chanters’ Association “Ioannis Damaskinos” visited Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Phanar.
The meeting took place on the occasion of presenting the newly published volume of proceedings from the musicological conference “Ode of Thanksgiving”, which was held in Trikala in March 2024 in honor of the 50th anniversary of Patriarch Bartholomew’s priestly ministry.
During the visit, the president of the Association, Dr. Athanasios G. Dimitriou (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), offered the Patriarch a copy of the published volume—made possible with the contribution of Archon Protekdikos of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Mr. Charalambos Sioufas—as well as an icon of Saint Oikoumenios, several books, and local products. The discussion also included topics related to the chanters’ community and the preservation of ecclesiastical music tradition.
The meeting coincided with a significant anniversary—the 34th anniversary of Patriarch Bartholomew’s election as Ecumenical Patriarch (October 22, 1991). To mark the occasion, the chanters performed a special hymn composed for the event by theologian and Association treasurer Efthymios Spyrou.
