The third term of 2021 will run from August 30th to October 17th. After a one week break the fourth term will run from October 25th to December 12th.
Registration is open for the third term and closes the first day of classes on August 30th. This week is the last week to register, and some classes have limited space, so register asap!
ByzB 101, 102, and 103 are all being offered this term (taught by Amy Hogg). Each class has regular practice sessions in which students practice the Byzantine chant content of their class. There are also practice sessions that focus on vocal technique (shared by the three classes). We made this change last term and students really appreciated the extra guided group and individual practice on vocal technique that this allowed for. Students should plan to come to one regular session and one vocal technique session each week, although they are welcome to come to as many sessions as they would like. Students with little to no chanting experience should plan to take ByzB 101. After this term, the next ByzB 101 session will be Term 1 of 2022 which begins in January.
We will not be offering any 200 level Octoechos classes this term. The course preparation is very involved and Gabriel will use this term to prepare the scores, recordings, and course content for Octoechos 208, which will be offered in Term 4 this year. We encourage 200 level students to review and polish hymnography from previous courses, sign up for some private lessons via our private lesson page, or to take a Typikon class or Vocal Lab 100.
In Voice Lab 100 (taught by Amy Hogg), students will learn to feel, monitor, and control the parts of their head, neck and upper body that contribute to vocal quality, volume, and vocal health. When registering fro the course be sure to pick the appropriate option. If you are not enrolled in another course this term the Voice Lab cost is $150. If you are taking another course then enroll in the Voice Lab 100: Add On option so that you receive the 50% discount.
Typikon 101 is being offered again this term (taught by Peter George). In this course, students learn how to build services for every day with the Great Horologion, Octoechos, Menaion, and – when appropriate – the Triodion or Pentecostarion, using the Typikon of Protopsaltis Georgios Violakis as their guide. They also learn the history of various other Typika (the plural of Typikon) and the differences between these Typika. This class focuses on the Sunday and Festal Cycle of services, those which are most commonly chanted in parishes. This class is a great option for 200 level students.
We are offering two advanced courses this term–-Festal Menaion 304 and Papadic 404—both taught by Samuel Herron. Festal Menaion 304 is designed to highlight and develop advanced-level performance in the sticheraric genre. The course focuses on the performance aspects of vocal quality, interpretation, rhythm and tempo, modal theory, and more. For the repertoire, the course will undertake a systematic study of the hymnography of Vespers and Orthros for the feasts of the Annunciation of the Theotokos (March 25th) and the Transfiguration of Christ (August 6th).
Papadic 404 functions as an in-depth study of papadic repertoire in the 2nd and Plagal 2nd Modes. As such, this is the Papadic class that will take a deep dive into the structure and style of Chromaticism in the Papadic Genre. Students will study one Cherubic Hymn and one Communion Hymn in each of the aforementioned modes along with a festal Communion hymn, analyzing each selection in terms of modal theory/intervals, melodic structure/morphology, liturgical execution, and other related topics.
