Doxastichon

A Doxastichon (Greek: Δοξαστικόν "Glory sticheron")—plural: "doxasticha"— is a type of hymn found in the Divine Services of the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite.

Specifically, a doxastichon is a sticheron which is chanted between:
*"Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit."and
*"Both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen." [Citation
last =Kallistos (Ware)
first =Bishop
author-link =Timothy Ware
last2=Mary
first2=Mother
author2-link=
contribution =
year =1969
publication-date=
title =The Festal Menaion
editor-last =
editor-first =
editor-link=
edition=
volume =
series =
pages =550
place =London
publisher =Faber and Faber
id =
isbn =0-571-11137-8
url =
accessdate = ]

Doxasticha are normally found near the end of a series of stichera. Doxasticha may be found at Vespers ("Lord, I Have Cried" and the Aposticha), at Matins (Kathisma hymns, Aposticha, Lauds), and at the Divine Liturgy (the Beatitudes).

There are other instances when a hymn is found between "Glory..." and "Both now..." (i.e., Apolytikion, the Canon); however, these hymns are troparia rather than stichera, and so are not referred to as doxasticha.

The subject matter of the doxastichon can be either the glorification of the Trinity, or honouring the saint of the day. Feasts of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) often do not have doxasticha, since she is honoured during the Theotokion, which is the sticheron which follows "Both now and ever...". Lower-ranking feasts of saints do not usually have doxasticha, though some do.

Doxasticha are always intended to be chanted in one of the eight liturgical modes, or a variation on the modes, known as an "automelon".

References