RichardRBarrett
Μέλος
Χριστὸς ἀνέστη!
I wanted to let everybody know that the exams for the certificate in Byzantine music at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology were Friday and Saturday of this last week. In alphabetical order, the following candidates successfully passed the exam:
Richard Barrett
Panagiotis Hasiakos
Samuel Herron
Sarah Jenks
Irini Koulianos
Mariana McMullen
Athanasios Minetos
Evangelia Palis
Nicholas Roumas
Constantine Trumpower
The candidates each had to speak for 5-10 minutes on a theoretical topic of their choice, and come prepared with 8 pieces of music, each in a different mode, according to the following categories:
(i) one doxastikon (either from the Anastasimatarion or the Doxastarion),
(ii) one cherubic hymn,
(iii) one idiomelon for lenten Sunday Vespers by Iakovos Protopsaltis or a Slow Doxology,
(iv) one verse from Bereketis' Theotoke Parthene including the kratima,
(v) one kalophonic heirmos,
(vi) one slow kekragarion by Iakovos Protopsaltis,
(vii) one Great Prokeimenon for Lent,
(viii) another piece of the examinee's choice (e.g. a section from the slow Ti Ypermacho, a polyeleos triadikon, a polyeleos, etc.)
Each candidate had to be able to answer questions about theory and performance practice with each piece, as well as sing requested sections in paralaggi; in addition, each candidate had to be able to sing a composition from sight, both paralaggi and melos.
The examiners were the following distinguished cantors and teachers:
Eleftherios Eleftheriadis (Protopsaltis of St. Nicholas Shrine Church, Flushing, NY)
Rassem El-Massih (Lecturer in Byzantine Music, St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary)
Dr. Grammenos Karanos (Assistant Professor of Byzantine Music, HCHC)
Dr. Demetrios Kehagias (Director of Archdiocesan Byzantine Choir of New York)
Dr. Vasileios Lioutas (Protopsaltis of St. John the Baptist Church, Boston, MA)
On a personal note, I would like to thank, first and foremost, Dr. Ioannis Arvanitis. He was kind enough to take me under his wing and teach me in 2009, at a time when I was a classically-trained Western singer who wanted to learn Byzantine music, but Kazan's staff notation transcriptions had been presented to me as the standard, and certainly the only allowable option, in the church I was attending. It means a great deal to me to be able to validate Dr. Arvanitis' foundational and formative efforts.
John Michael Boyer and Taso Nassis have always helped to keep me honest when I've had the chance to chant with them, and I owe them a great deal of gratitude. I owe a great deal of thanks to Fr. John Koen and the people of Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Indianapolis for allowing me to sing the classical repertoire for them from 2013-2014. Finally, Dr. Karanos, of course, is somebody to whom I owe a huge debt for his amazing generosity with his time, as well as for making room for an interloper in his classes during my year as Resident Fellow at Holy Cross.
Δόξα τῷ Θεῷ!
Richard
I wanted to let everybody know that the exams for the certificate in Byzantine music at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology were Friday and Saturday of this last week. In alphabetical order, the following candidates successfully passed the exam:
Richard Barrett
Panagiotis Hasiakos
Samuel Herron
Sarah Jenks
Irini Koulianos
Mariana McMullen
Athanasios Minetos
Evangelia Palis
Nicholas Roumas
Constantine Trumpower
The candidates each had to speak for 5-10 minutes on a theoretical topic of their choice, and come prepared with 8 pieces of music, each in a different mode, according to the following categories:
(i) one doxastikon (either from the Anastasimatarion or the Doxastarion),
(ii) one cherubic hymn,
(iii) one idiomelon for lenten Sunday Vespers by Iakovos Protopsaltis or a Slow Doxology,
(iv) one verse from Bereketis' Theotoke Parthene including the kratima,
(v) one kalophonic heirmos,
(vi) one slow kekragarion by Iakovos Protopsaltis,
(vii) one Great Prokeimenon for Lent,
(viii) another piece of the examinee's choice (e.g. a section from the slow Ti Ypermacho, a polyeleos triadikon, a polyeleos, etc.)
Each candidate had to be able to answer questions about theory and performance practice with each piece, as well as sing requested sections in paralaggi; in addition, each candidate had to be able to sing a composition from sight, both paralaggi and melos.
The examiners were the following distinguished cantors and teachers:
Eleftherios Eleftheriadis (Protopsaltis of St. Nicholas Shrine Church, Flushing, NY)
Rassem El-Massih (Lecturer in Byzantine Music, St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary)
Dr. Grammenos Karanos (Assistant Professor of Byzantine Music, HCHC)
Dr. Demetrios Kehagias (Director of Archdiocesan Byzantine Choir of New York)
Dr. Vasileios Lioutas (Protopsaltis of St. John the Baptist Church, Boston, MA)
On a personal note, I would like to thank, first and foremost, Dr. Ioannis Arvanitis. He was kind enough to take me under his wing and teach me in 2009, at a time when I was a classically-trained Western singer who wanted to learn Byzantine music, but Kazan's staff notation transcriptions had been presented to me as the standard, and certainly the only allowable option, in the church I was attending. It means a great deal to me to be able to validate Dr. Arvanitis' foundational and formative efforts.
John Michael Boyer and Taso Nassis have always helped to keep me honest when I've had the chance to chant with them, and I owe them a great deal of gratitude. I owe a great deal of thanks to Fr. John Koen and the people of Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Indianapolis for allowing me to sing the classical repertoire for them from 2013-2014. Finally, Dr. Karanos, of course, is somebody to whom I owe a huge debt for his amazing generosity with his time, as well as for making room for an interloper in his classes during my year as Resident Fellow at Holy Cross.
Δόξα τῷ Θεῷ!
Richard