So there are some "traditionalists" in Chalcedonian Orthodoxy who do not think that it is appropriate for women to sing in church, just as there are Latin traditionalists who think this way. As singing the appropriate parts of the liturgy is a task of all who are members of Christ's body, I don't know how they can claim this except by an unthinking traditionalism with strict separation of sex roles.
Furthermore, women have been singing in mixed choirs and even directing choirs in the Russian Church for a very long time now, and saints, such as St. John of Shanghai have not only raised no objections to it, but have blessed it to be so. So while one may make a case against women singing on the basis of the comments of some Fathers, the fact that the Church has allowed it, and that this has been without any controversy, and with the blessing of many saints should restrain anyone from making dogmatic arguments against the practice.
It is also a fact that without women singers and choir directors, many parishes would be hard pressed to pull off a decent service, and so even if you could make the argument that in an ideal world, choirs would consist of only tonsured male readers, the problem remains that we do not live in such an ideal world, and have to use the resources that we have. St. Paul’s concern in his first epistle to the Corinthians was that “all things be done decently, and in good order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). If our interpretation of his admonitions leads us to the opposite effect, then I would suggest this means we are misreading him on some level.
Does patriarchy require that men have leadership status in every group, including a choir? The ideal may be to have a male cantor who could also be the choir director, or to have two men filling those roles. What skills does a choir director need, besides leading the group and pointing out corrections that need to be made? A choir director would also need to take the initiative in planning practices and checking on members.
But what if there are no men around sufficiently trained in singing and music to be a cantor or a choir director? What if only women can read music and sing? I suppose then a woman choir director would be tolerable as all of the singers are women. Whether this will remain the status quo, or if providentially a man may be found later... should a parish or the pastor be praying for this?
It seems to me that a man who can read music and sing should be promoted to be the choir director, even if a "more qualified" woman is available, just for the sake of observing the principle of patriarchy. But what if he has no leadership skills? He can learn them. And if his personality prevents him from exercising effective leadership? In that case, maybe the more qualified woman being the choir director would be tolerable. After all, if he does not have the personality or character to enable him to be an effective leader, or if he does not have that potential, then he already has a lower SSH status. A concern with the possible loss of status by being subject to a woman choir director may not be necessary, as he may not be losing much. And if a man is willing to accept a woman as having authority in a choir over him, that is already evidence that he has lower status. But if a male singer is willing to take the initiative to learn how to be a director, and he is rightly concerned with his status among the members of the parish community, especially the women, should he not be given priority over an equally qualified or even more qualified woman? I would think so, as these considerations are important. The purpose of a choir is to sing the liturgy well, but having this purpose does not mean that it is not ordered to other goods as well. The choir, unless they are outsider mercenaries being hired by the parish for their ability, are members of the parish as well, and whatever ordering exists in the choir must also take into consider greater goods as well, such as the good of parish life, and the good of parish life requires patriarchy, if only so that men will have the respect of women. (But patriarchy has other goods proper to it as well.)
(As for the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 14:34, the author article interprets it in light of the surrounding passages regarding prophesying and speaking in tongues, so that the rules governing prophesying and speaking in tongues are the rules guiding when a woman must be silent. I think it is correct that 1 Corinthians 14 does not apply to women singing the liturgy so I agree with the article on that point. 1 Corinthians 14:35 clearly prohibits them from asking questions. Are they allowed to share the fruits of their charismatic gifts (14:26)? Or should this done by an intermediary, either their husband or male guardian? Are women allowed to interpret tongues? Giving a word of instruction would be forbidden to women, if we consult the other commands given by St. Paul. It is probably the case that the structure of worship of the ekklesia was not so formalized as later became, so that there would be periods of time when the members could share their charismatic gifts in addition to the prayers and readings or maybe even with the Eucharist?)
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