Byzantine Chant 2
Students will learn to chant simple Byzantine-style hymns used in Orthodox liturgical services. Students will expand their knowledge of the theory of the eight modes, and will enter into the study of more complex hymns than those they encountered in Elements of Church Music, such as doxologies, prosomia, the Sunday Oktoechos, and hymns of the Divine Liturgy. Students will also continue to learn about the ancient and modern historical development of this sacred art. The hymns taught will be in English. This course will not enter into Western or Slavic-tradition music. Students should be willing to sing in class.
In this course, students with an elementary knowledge of Byzantine-style chanting will transition fully from Western to Byzantine musical notation, and will learn hymns in all eight modes. Hymns to be studied will include stichera from the eight-mode Sunday cycle, doxologies, and basic chants of the Divine Liturgy.
Students will also learn the history and theory of Byzantine chanting.
Materials will be provided by the instructor. Students should be willing to sing in class.
Prerequisites:
Students must have taken Elements of Church Music OR have an equivalent prerequisite knowledge of Byzantine music notation and the eight modes, as determined by an examination with the instructor.
Syllabus
Course Materials
Required: An audio recording device.
Recommended: A set of external speakers, and a binder for printing and collecting materials.
All texts will be provided by the instructor in electronic format.
*Required materials are not included in the purchase of the course.
Elias Diamond received his B.F.A. in drama from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh in 2013, where he received training in playwriting, acting, design, and theatre history and criticism. He has written several plays which have received production in Pennsylvania and New York, including Sense and Senselessness (produced by Pittsburgh City Theater) and The Park Bench Hero (Manhattan Repertory Theater and Tangent Theater). His plays and poetry have received several awards, including Carnegie Mellon’s Adamson Award and recognition from the American Academy of Poets.
In addition, Elias holds a Master of Divinity from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology, from which he graduated with highest honors. He has been blessed to be able to teach in the Crossroad program for two years in the past, and he currently works as a Pastoral Assistant at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ediamond.scholeacademy@gmail.com
Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with processor with a speed of 1 Ghz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with MacOS 10.6 (Snow Leopard) or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do NOT recommending using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.
High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with an download/upload speed of 5/1Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.
WebCam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer.
WebCam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)
Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class.
Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm
Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use.
To download Zoom:
- Visit zoom.us/download.
- Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
- Open and run the installer on your computer.
- In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.
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