Efstathios Viggopoulos
Archon Lambadarios of the Great Church of Christ
Efstathios Viggopoulos was born in Kandyllion of Bosphorus in 1882. From very young, he showed interest in ecclesiastical music, and soon became a profound mystic of it. He chanted in various churches of the City. In 1908, he was called as the right cantor at the Metochion of the Most Holy Sepulcher in Phanar. In 1910, he became right cantor at St John the Theologian of Proussa, wherefrom at the proposal of the Metropolitan Dorotheos of Proussa he was hired in the Patriarchal Church in 1913 as second Domestikos. Finally, in 1916, he was promoted to Archon Lambadarios of the Great Church of Christ.
Efstathios Viggopoulos, a good musician, established a tradition in the Patriarchal Church, as he sung 22 years with Iakovos Nafpliotes, which was continued later for another 20 years by Priggos with Stanitsas.
When Viggopoulos chanted, he remained steady, so that one would question whether he was indeed singing or someone else. He composed many lessons, especially communion hymns, most of which remain unpublished in the hands of his many students and admirers.
Viggopoulos died on the 8th of February 1938. His funeral service was conducted in the Patriarchal Church by Metropolitan Maximos of Chalcedon. The Patriarch was represented by the Secondary (Deacon) Maximos; the mourning was kept by Archon Protopsaltes Iakovos Nafpliotes; the Great Archdeacon Greogory read the funeral speech. The service was by B. Onoufriades, Archon Musicteacher of the Great Church of Christ, together with the other cantors of the Archdiocese.