Registration for Term 1 of 2025 will open around Thanksgiving.
For any questions, please send an email to info@trisagionschool.org
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2025 Academic Program
----Nativity Break----
Term 1, 2025: January 6 - February 23
----Lenten Break----
Term 2, 2025: May 5 - June 22
----Summer Break----
Term 3, 2025: Sept 29 - November 16
COURSE CATALOG
Standard 7-Week Course: $275*
Course Cost: Registration includes access to pre-recorded instructional videos, repertoire scores, audio recordings, class forum, instructor assessments, and at least two ½-hour online live practice sessions each week.
Live Practice Sessions: Students should plan to attend 1 -2 live practice sessions a week after they have done some of the coursework for the week and have questions or are prepared to practice some of the skills learned in the coursework.
Class Transfer Policy: Students have 10 days from the start of each academic term to transfer into a lower or higher-level course, with no charge, at the permission of the instructor(s).
Withdrawal/Refund Policy: The cost of each course includes a $30 deposit, which consists of a $10 processing fee and a $20 evaluation fee. If a student withdraws within 10 days of the beginning of the academic term and they have not been administered a placement evaluation by an instructor, they will receive a full refund, minus the $10 processing fee. If a student has had a placement evaluation administered, the cost of that evaluation will also be subtracted. There will be no refunds after 10 days from the start of the academic term.
Retaking a Course: If a student is unable to complete a course but the drop date has already passed, he or she may retake it when it is next offered for a discounted rate of $125. In order to request a retake, the student should contact the school via email to be invoiced for that amount.
Outstanding Capstone Project: Students will only be permitted to have one missing capstone project and continue on to another class. If a student who has more than one outstanding capstone project registers for another class, that student will not be permitted to participate in the class until the additional missing capstone project has been submitted.
* You can find our Parish Discount Policy here.
Course Descriptions
Byzantine Beginnings
Materials: All courses use the ByzB Starter Set which is available from the Trisagion School store (enrollees receive 25% off-find the access code in the Introduction to the course)
All ByzB 100 classes are $275
ByzB 101: Parallage, Scales and Basic Vocal Technique
Students will study two hymns and learn to chant them on the text of the hymn and on parallagi. Students will learn about the different modes and scales in Byzantine chant and study the intervals of the Diatonic and Hard Chromatic scales. They will also study the basics of good vocal technique. Students should plan to come to at least one half hour regular practice session and one half hour Vocal Technique Session each week.
Prerequisite(s): None.
Offered each term.
ByzB 102: Introduction to Byzantine Notation
Students study the foundational symbols needed to read syllabic hymns in Byzantine notation and continue their study of modal theory. Students will study intervallic symbols, qualitative symbols, rhythmic symbols, and symbols that indicate the mode and scale. Students study Heirmologic hymns on parallagi and melos in the Diatonic Modes: 1st, Plagal 1st, 4th, and Plagal 4th Modes. Students should plan to come to at least one half hour regular practice session and one half hour Vocal Technique Session each week.Prerequisite(s): ByzB 101 or equivalent.
Offered each term.
ByzB 103: Byzantine Notation - Basic Reading Fluency
This course focuses on developing reading fluency on parallagi in syllabic hymns and sticheraric hymns and goes much deeper into symbols indicating the mode and scale (martyries and fthores). Students study four Diatonic Sticheraric hymns as well as Heirmologic hymns in the Enharmonic and Chromatic Modes: 2nd, Plagal 2nd, 3rd, and Grave Mode. Students will continue to study vocal technique and should plan to come to at least one half hour regular practice session and one half hour Vocal Technique Session each week.
Prerequisite(s): ByzB 102 or equivalent.
Offered each term.
Automela (Model Melodies)
These four courses serve as a systematic study of the model melodies (automela) which serve as the musical and metrical basis for other hymns (prosomia). Students will learn one automelon per week, studying the hymns from both musical score and text and then applying those melodies to other texts while taking into account small rhythmic or melodic changes that may be necessary. The automela covered in these classes constitute all of the melodies used for Kathismata, Apolytikia, Stichera, and Exaposteilaria. Thus, upon completion, students will be able to perform the majority of hymns found in the liturgical books of the Orthodox Church without the need for a musical score.
Prerequisite(s): ByzB 101. The ability to read Byzantine notation will be helpful, but is not required.
Cost: All Automela Classes are $225
Automela 111: Model Melodies, Part 1
Automela 111 will teach the following melodies:
"O all-lauded Martyrs," 1st Mode; "When he took Thee" and "Upon that mount in Galilee," 2nd Mode; "Thy confession" and "Thou Who as God adornest," 3rd Mode; "As one valiant" and "On this day Thou hast appeared," 4th Mode; "Let us worship the Word," Plagal 1st Mode; "Having laid up all their hope," Plagal 2nd Mode, and "O strange wonder," Plagal 4th Mode
Automela 112: Model Melodies, Part 2
Automela 112 will teach the following melodies:
"While Gabriel was saying," 1st Mode; "O house of Ephratha," 2nd Mode; "Hearken, ye women," 2nd Mode; "Awed by the beauty," 3rd Mode; "While standing in the Temple's courts," 3rd Mode; "Unto them that fear Thee," 4th Mode; "Joseph was amazed," 4th Mode; "Rejoice," Plagal 1st Mode; "As it is written," Plagal 2nd Mode; "What shall we now call you," Plagal 4th Mode; "To thee, the Champion Leader," Plagal 4th Mode
Automela 113: Model Melodies, Part 3
Automela 114: Model Melodies, Part 4
Octoëchos (The 8 Modes)
The eight Octoëchos courses serve as a systematic primer in the theoretical and practical aspects of the eight modes of Byzantine Chant. Each mode is studied within the context of the Anastasimatarion, that is, the Resurrectional hymns of Saturday night Vespers and Sunday morning Orthros. Upon completing all of the Octoëchos courses, a student will be proficient in all eight modes in their heirmologic and sticheraric forms.
Prerequisite(s): All of the Octoëchos courses require ByzB 103 (Basic Reading Fluency) or an equivalent course of study. We generally offer three Octoëchos classes each term. 208 is offered every term and should be taken first. After 208 students should work through 201, 205, 203, and 207 (one is offered each term), and upon completion of those classes they continue with 204, 206, or 202 (on is offered each term).
Cost: All Octoëchos classes are $275
Octoëchos 208: Plagal of the 4th Mode
Offered each term; Students should take this class as their first 200 level class.
Octoëchos 201: 1st Mode
Octoëchos 205: Plagal of the 1st Mode
Octoëchos 203: 3rd Mode
Octoëchos 207: Grave Mode
------------Try to take the classes above before the classes below------------------
Octoëchos 204: 4th Mode
Octoëchos 206: Plagal of the 2nd Mode
Octoëchos 202: 2nd Mode
Festal Menaion
The five Festal Menaion courses focus on the performance aspects, such as vocal quality, interpretation, rhythm and tempo, for singing hymns in the Short Sticheraric Genre. The course focuses on this via a systematic study of the hymnography of Vespers, Orthros, and Divine Liturgy for the major feasts of Christ and the Theotokos.
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Octoëchos 201 through 208 and/or instructor approval.
Cost: All Festal Menaion classes are $275
Festal Menaion 301
This course will study the hymnography of the feasts of the Nativity of the Theotokos (September 8th) and the Elevation of the Cross (September 14th).
Festal Menaion 302
This course will study the hymnography of the feasts of the Entry of the Theotokos (November 21st) and the Nativity of Christ (December 25th).
Festal Menaion 303
This course will study the hymnography of the feasts of the Theophany (January 6th) and the Presentation of Christ (February 2nd).
Festal Menaion 304
This course will study the hymnography of the feast of the Annunciation of the Theotokos (March 25th) and the Transfiguration of Christ (August 6th).
Festal Menaion 305
This course will study the hymnography of the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos (August 15th), as well as the Small and Great Paraklesis services that are chanted from August 1st to August 14th.
The Papadic Genre
The five Papadic courses constitute a systematic study of the slow melismatic (“papadic”) genre of Byzantine Chant repertoire and will focus entirely on Cherubic Hymns and Communion Hymns - the most common and essential representatives of this melodic style.
Cost: All Papadic classes are $275
Papadic 401
This course functions as an introduction to the slow melismatic (“papadic”) genre of Byzantine Chant. Students will study the characteristics of each mode’s papadic form and will focus on one representative composition of each mode in this genre. Repertoire will be analyzed in terms of modal theory/intervals, melodic structure/morphology, liturgical execution, and other related topics.
Prerequisite(s): Octoëchos 201 through 208 or equivalent.
NOTE: this is an 8-week course
Papadic 402
This course functions as an in-depth study of papadic repertoire in the 1st and Plagal of the 1st Modes. Students will study one Cherubic Hymn and one Communion Hymn in each of the aforementioned modes, along with one festal Communion hymn, analyzing each selection in terms of modal theory/intervals, melodic structure/morphology, liturgical execution, and other related topics.
Prerequisite(s): Papadic 401 or equivalent
Papadic 403
This course functions as an in-depth study of papadic repertoire in the 4th and Plagal 4th Modes. 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.
Prerequisite(s): Papadic 401 or equivalent.
Papadic 404
This course functions as an in-depth study of papadic repertoire in the 2nd and Plagal 2nd Modes. 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.
Prerequisite(s): Papadic 401 or equivalent.
Papadic 405
This course functions as an in-depth study of papadic repertoire in the 3rd and Grave Modes. Students will study one Cherubic Hymn and one Communion Hymn in each of the aforementioned modes, along with one festal Communion hymn, analyzing each selection in terms of modal theory/intervals, melodic structure/morphology, liturgical execution, and other related topics.
Prerequisite(s): Papadic 401 or equivalent.
Typikon (Order of Services)
Typikon 101: Sunday and Festal Services
In this course, students will learn how to build services for every day using the Great Horologion, Octoechos, Menaion, and - when appropriate - the Triodion or Pentecostarion, using the Typikon of Protopsaltis Georgios Violakis as a guide. Students will also learn the history of various other Typika (the plural of Typikon) and the differences between these Typika. Typikon 101 will focuson the Sunday and Festal Cycle of services, as those are the most commonly chanted in parishes.
Prerequisite(s): None.
Offered in Term 3
Cost: All Typikon Classes are $225
Typikon 102: Daily and Lenten Services
In this course, students will go over the structure of the Daily and Lenten Services throughout the year, using the Typikon of Violakis and others to help. By the end of this course, students will be able to build the following services “from scratch,” using the Liturgical Books of the Orthodox Church: Daily Vespers, Daily Orthros (Matins), Daily Divine Liturgy, Lenten Vespers, Presanctified Liturgy, and Lenten Orthros (Matins). Students will also be able to determine the ranking of each service in the Menaion and be able to differentiate daily services from festal and Sunday services.
Course prerequisite: Typikon 101.
Voice Lab
Voice Lab 100
In Term 3 of 2024, we are streamlining and expanding our vocal technique instruction. Voice Lab 100 will not be offered as it was in past terms (an hour session with 6 - 10 students). All students enrolled in classes during the term will get access to the revamped Voice Lab 100 course material and the old ByzB 100 vocal technique Zoom sessions will be reorganized, expanded and will be open to all students enrolled in TSBM classes that term. ByzB 100 level students are still required to come to one vocal technique session each week while students in Automela, Octoechos, Festal Menaion, Papadic, and Typikon classes are encouraged to come to sessions that they find interesting and/or needful.
There will be two sessions a week that focus on the foundational vocal health content covered in ByzB 101 (and the beginning of the old Voice Lab 100) and two sessions a week that will focus on more advanced content---that covered in ByzB 102 & 103 (and the end of the old Voice Lab 100) as well as some new topics.