Μετάφραση/περίληψη από πληροφορίες που προσέφερε ο Ρόι Σαχακιάν.

Η σχολή Εκκλησιαστικής Μουσικής του Όρους Λιβάνου ιδρύθηκε το 1997 από τον Ιωσήφ Γιάζμπεκ με σκοπό τη διάδοση της Βυζαντινής Μουσικής και της ορθής ψαλμωδίας σύμφωνα με τους μουσικούς κανόνες της Ορθόδοξης παράδοσης. Η χορωδία της σχολής είναι η χορωδία της Αρχιεπισκοπής του Όρους Λιβάνου με αυτόνομη όμως διοίκηση. Η χορωδία ιδρύθηκε το 1998 και θεωρείται από κάποιους η καλύτερη χορωδία της Εκκλησίας της Αντιόχειας. Έχει συμμετάσχει σε πολλές εκδηλώσεις και ακολουθίες σε επισκέψεις προκαθημένων διαφόρων Εκκλησιών και έχει δώσει συναυλίες Εκκλησιαστικής μουσικής στο Λίβανο, στην Ελλάδα, στη Συρία, στην Ιορδανία και αλλού. Μετά από 10 χρόνια ζωής, η σχολή αριθμεί σήμερα 200 μέλη. Το έργο της σχολής διακρίνεται στα εξής:
Διδασκαλία: Τετραετής φοίτηση με θεωρητική και πρακτική διδασκαλία.
Ανδρική Χορωδία: 150 μέλη, σπουδαστές/απόφοιτοι της σχολής Βυζαντινής μουσικής.
Γυναικεία Χορωδία: 50 μέλη, σπουδαστές/απόφοιτοι της σχολής Βυζαντινής μουσικής.

Η χορωδία έχει εκδώσει 10 CD και τη Θεία Λειτουργία στα Αγγλικά (εκδόθηκε στην Αμερική). Ο Ιωσήφ Γιάζμπεκ έχει γράψει μια νέα μέθοδο διδασκαλίας της Βυζαντινής Μουσικής σε πέντε τόμους (περίπου 300 σελίδες ο καθένας). Τα περισσότερα άσματα που εκτελεί η χορωδία είναι συνθέσεις του Ιωσήφ Γιάζμπεκ ή των μαθητών του, ή μεταγραφές Ελληνικών μουσικών κειμένων.

The following information was provided by Roy Sahakian:

Established in 1997, SEM ((School of Ecclesiastic Music in Mount Lebanon) aims to spread the Byzantine music and correct chanting according to musical rules inherited from the Orthodox tradition. Year after year, it moves forward with firm steps towards professionalism, strongly believing that the offering to the Almighty should come from the best herd. The School foresees the Byzantine music as an exceptionally important means, especially in our technological and entertaining era, to attract the youth to church, to its liturgy, thus to the commitment to community life.

The SEM choir, is the choir of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Mount Lebanon. However it has an independent autonomous administration.The school was founded by Mr. Joseph Yazbeck in 1997, then the choir appeared a while after that in 1998-1999 and have been considered as the best choir in Antioch, and served several services in official events (Visit of Archbishop of Greece Christodoulos to Antioch (Liturgy in Alepo-Syria), and several visits of Patriarchs etc.). SEM choir represented the Antioch Chair in Athens in the year 2000 at the Megaro Mousikis, at the 2000 anniversary of the Church of Greece. Many concerts were organized all over Lebanon, of course, but also, in Greece, in Jordan, in Syria, and in Turkey. After ten years of hard work and continuous endeavors, SEM counts today some 200 students, and is structured as follows:
Music Classes: Classes are divided into four levels whereby the student follows theoretical and practical courses according to a new curriculum, prepared and enhanced in a modern paedagogical and efficient method.

The Byzantine Orthodox Choir (Male and Female sections): The Choir is currently composed of more than 150 chanters who have successfully completed the curriculum. The Choir holds weekly rehearsals to prepare for Services and Concerts and aims at spreading the Byzantine music.
- The Men's Choir is composed of some 100 professional chanters, endeavors to put together archaic liturgical Services of the Orthodox tradition to revive them and avail to believers the richness and beauty of this tradition.
- The Women's Choir is one of the pioneer female choirs in our Antiochian region. It is currently composed of 50 chanters, the majority of whom are students at the School of music.

The choir has already published 10 CDs and has even recorded Byzantine music in English (Theia Leitourgia) that has been published in the US. Mr. Joseph Yazbeck has written the "New Curriculum for Teaching Byzantine Music" in 5 volumes (around 300 pages each), that has lead a revolution in the spread of Byzantine music in the region due to its simplicity, rational, and efficiency in teaching. Basically most of the chants performed by the choir are Mr. Yazbeck's original compositions or the ones of his students, or are their translation from Greek chants. In both scenarios the choir is always deeply committed to the Byzantine oral and written tradition. SEM choir has also been considered, by the leading Arab TV station- LBCI, as one of the best choirs in the country. And its audience has gone beyond the Orthodox believers to bring the Orthodox Belief and tradition to Catholics, Muslims, Druze and others that are omnipresent in all SEM concerts.