You know - that thing where the singers stand! The Kliros is one of the most important pieces of liturgical furniture outside the Altar. It is here that the chanters, directed by the protopsalti and the choir master (Rdr. Aleksey and Romanus, respectively, here at St. Andrew’s) lead the faithful (yes - you ALL should be singing) in chanting the responses to the priest.
The kliros itself is sort of a combination of bookshelves and a music stand, holding all the texts that contain the variable portions of the Divine Liturgy, as well as other necessary volumes like the Great Book of Needs, Menaion, Pentecostarion, etc. The situation of the kliros to the right of the iconostasis is not only due to space constraints, but also to allow the choir to see into the Altar in order to take cues from the priest, observe him to cover the “secret” prayers, and listen for auditory cues as to where we are and what comes next in the services.
Keep in mind that while we have something of a core group of chanters, everyone is expected to sing from wherever they are in the nave, and if you would like to try a rotation or two at the kliros itself, you will be most welcome and appreciated!