Russian Orthodox

It's been a few weeks, so I should have written this while it was fresh in my mind, but I got a chance to go to the Russian Orthodox Cathedral! Talk about a LOT of standing and a long service! (Stood for 30 minutes, then 20 minute seated homily, then stood for another 30 minutes...)
I think I even saw a baby being baptized and (I assume) confirmation/chrismation and first communion. (I was only clued into that when the baby was being paraded around the church right before communion. Other than that everything else must have occurred behind the screen where I missed it!)

I had to leave around communion because at that point the service had already been 1.5 hours, so I don't know what I missed after that. I do remember that they had a nice choir that sang in 4 parts in a chant-like way for everything, - I wish I knew how to describe it - to the point where I didn't sing a thing except, oddly, I knew the melody of the Creed from somewhere, and I had no problem singing it while following along with the words! (It was some sort of chant tone. Maybe it was like, "mi--- re-do-re, re---do-ti-la" sung very energetically.)

Apparently, this cathedral is mostly famous for it's appearance in the 1977 film "The Deer Hunter." Interesting.

It would be very interesting to notate or record the various chant tones from all these different Eastern churches and to compare them for the specific parts of the liturgy.

booo...

My priest actually read the Rite of Marriage today and discovered that there is supposed to be a Gloria for wedding Masses. (I knew this, but was hoping he wouldn't find out.)
Blah.
Let the awkwardness commence...