Announcement of new Internet-based chant resource

March 8, 2010 (ASBMH) - FROM THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BYZANTINE MUSIC AND HYMNOLOGY

Re: Official Announcement on the opening of an Internet-based, live broadcast with archived material School of Byzantine Chant

It is with great pleasure for the Society to announce the functionality of an Internet-based School of Byzantine Chant. The project is supported by a number of generous individuals and foundations in Greece, Russia, Canada and the USA who asked to remain anonymous.

Given the paucity of individuals in North America with the in-depth knowledge, experience, credibility and formation in all aspects of Byzantine Music (theory and practice in line with the methods and traditions accepted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople) to teach those willing to learn and to serve as the future generation of chanters mainly in North America, the Society arranged the creation of a multimodal School of Byzantine Music, Practice and Theory.

1) The School will carry live broadcasts of systematic lessons on all aspects of Byzantine Music and will archive the broadcasts for future consultation, or perusal where live connection is not possible given the multiple time zones

2) The School will offer a month long intensive summer session on practical and theoretical aspects of Byzantine Music in Pittsburgh annually

3) The School will partner with established credible institutions in Greece for those wishing to further their knowledge to a professional status. It has already established a means for advanced individuals to be tested and to acquire certificates and diplomas in Byzantine Music in Greece.

Thus far, the following modules are already functioning or in the process of being finalised:

a) Live Internet video broadcast (with the possibility of real time question/answer) of lessons from the ANASTASIMATARION (in its entirety) by Dr. Nick Giannoukakis every Tuesday at about 6:30 PM EDT (EST). Although the language of the hymns is in the original Greek, the explanations and the commentary is in English.

b) Archived video lessons of the Anastasimatarion (as in [a] above) accessible over the Internet.

c) Archived video lessons of the Anastasimatarion by the Archon Hymnodist of the Great Church of Christ, George Hatzichronoglou. Commentary and theoretical considerations in Greek.

d) On March 6th, 2010, Mr Paul Combitsis will begin live Internet video broadcast of the music of Holy Week. The broadcasts will be archived for further consultation. The language of the music will be in the original Greek, but the commentary and theoretical considerations will be in English.

e) Beginning in the summer 2010, Byzantine Music lessons in the English language (i.e. English translations metered on the original Greek hymns) will be broadcast live in video and archived.

All live broadcasts feature music performed in "solfege" (parallagi) and syllable-melody in line with traditional learning norms.

f) At this time, the School envisages an intensive month-long summer session in Pittsburgh for those willing to further their knowledge in all aspects of Byzantine Music, theory and practice. Further information will be forthcoming as the details are worked out in the next 2-3 months.

This is a ground-breaking project and a first for North America which brings together credible, well-trained and deeply-knowledgeable chantors from Canada, the USA and Greece to further the teaching of Byzantine music in the most traditional and ecclesiastically-acceptable form according to the acceptable norms of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

There is no cost for joining and participating in the School or accessing the archived videos. Furthermore, we do not anticipate registration charges for the foreseen summer sessions in Pittsburgh.

For further information: http://www.asbmh.pitt.edu/page21/page21.html