Worship Through
Sacred Music

Sacred music is an integral part of Orthodox worship, lifting our prayers and enriching the experience of the Divine Liturgy and the services of the Church.

Under the direction of Laura Kakis Serper, the Ascension Liturgical Choir carries forward a longstanding tradition of music at our Cathedral. Through the hymns of the Church, the choir helps bring the beauty, theology, and prayer of the Orthodox faith to life each week and throughout the ecclesiastical year.

A Living Musical Tradition

For generations, choral music has played an important role in the spiritual and cultural life of Ascension. Our choir traces its roots to 1938, when cantor Athanasios Alambakos began teaching the music of Orthros and the Divine Liturgy to the youth of the parish. The first choir was composed entirely of women, with male voices joining in the years that followed.

In 1943, our parish helped establish the Federation of Greek Orthodox Choirs, extending Ascension’s musical legacy beyond our own community.

The choir sings the Divine Liturgy every Sunday throughout the year, in addition to participating in the special services of Holy Week and Pascha, feast days, and other important celebrations in the life of the Cathedral.

Ascension has also been blessed by generations of dedicated church musicians. Among them are longtime organist Anna Counelis, who began serving as a teenager in 1941, and Frosene Philips, whose decades of service left an enduring mark on the musical life of Ascension and the broader Orthodox community. Many current choir members have also faithfully served for decades, carrying this tradition forward from one generation to the next.

Today, Dina Fields serves as organist, bringing her background as a musically trained educator, pianist, and organist to the choir and Cathedral.

Music Beyond Sunday

The choir’s ministry extends beyond weekly worship. Throughout the year, choir members participate in special musical programs and community events, including:

• Musical offerings during the Oakland Greek Festival

• Ascension’s long standing Christmas Concert

• Special concerts and musical programs

• Crabaret, the choir’s annual Crab Feed and musical revue

Join the Choir

The choir loft is open to singers of all experience levels. Whether you have years of musical training or have simply wondered what it might be like to sing with the choir, you are invited to join us.

Choir Director Laura Serper also brings extensive experience in youth musical education and continues to encourage younger generations to participate in the musical life of the Cathedral.

As longtime Ascension organist Anna Counelis reminds us:

“Everyone can sing.”

Choir Rehearsals

Tuesdays | 7:30–9:00 PM at Cathedral Choir Loft (Please check the Ascension calendar for schedule updates or changes.)

Rehearsals are held during the year with a summer break. The choir continues to sing each Sunday throughout the summer.

Choir Director: Laura Kakis Serper, email: oneinsong@gmail.com
Organist: Dina Fields

Interested in joining? Come visit the choir loft or contact us to learn more.