Under the unblinking gaze of three owl-eyed icons in a mural painted at the head of the church, two rows of white-clad parishioners faced each other while singing and ringing sets of brass chimes to the booms of a traditional Ethiopian kabrero drum.

To one side of the dance is an ornate, brightly painted partition with intricate scenes depicting Bible stories custom painted by a deacon in Ethiopia.

To the other are hundreds of worshipers, singing along in the Ethiopian language Amharic, swaying and trilling in praise in Ethiopian ululation. The pews are fuller than they’ve been in decades.

The choreographed performance is about nine hours into a half-daylong service at St. Mary’s Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in north Spokane in an extensive celebration in honor of the holiday asso

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