TO: The Rev. J and Mrs. Evans-Pughe,  Tovil Vicarage, Maidstone, Kent

FROM: John Evans-Pughe, S.I.C. c/o SALONIKA B.T.G.

DATE: Wed 10th Sept? [postmark suggests this] 1947

…I was going to write to you on Sunday…but I went to the Greek church with Aristarkas ...well I’ve just about recovered by now! …

….Well we started off at quarter to 8 in the morning and arrived at the church at 8.  The choir was chanting a rythmic [sic] “plainsong”…. Aristarkas came away from the counter with two small candles one of which he gave to me…Then we walked up to the seats.  The seats face sideways and only one or two ‘old’ people use them some of the time. As yet there only the choir (men and boys – decani and cantoris – on a sort of round platform each side) and a handful of people.  There were several old ladies opposite me doing STAVROS (crossing themselves) in rythm [sic] to the music as tho’ conducting it; in fact when the music was in triplets they left out one arm of the STAVROS (cross). There was a solo Ψάλτης (chanter) each side, and they took it in turn to chant a very rythmic [sic] plainsong; the remainder of the choir only accompanied most of the time with a sort of drone note or several drone notes; like Bagpipes only not to monotonous of course. They sang Keereeai Eleeison (sorry can’t spell it) many times during the service which of course I easily recognised. ..

People were still coming in at a quarter to nine, and apart from occasional chanting from behind the screen with the choir accompanying (there was no organ), and apart from the occasional violent attacks of crossing themselves nothing much happened…at about 9.15 one of the priests (they all have beards) came out from behind the screen and chanted for a bit…

…Apart from standing up for 3 hours and lighting a candle I didn’t participate in the ceremony; I was merely an onlooker.  I can’t think how the choir kept it up all that time, it was bad enough just standing let alone singing as well…

..I intend going to a large church – St Sophia’s – the Sunday after next, where I think the choir will be a lot more professional – it was just a sort of village choir where I went last Sunday, there execution was rather unpolished, so to speak….