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Parish Youth Attend Summer Church Music School at Holy Trinity Monastery
Summer School!
(...of Liturgical Music)
Members of the Youth of Saint Elias parish had the opportunity to attend
the Summer School of Liturgical Music at Holy Trinity Seminary, June
29 - July 13, 2003.
"Summer School" was never so much fun!
It was the Youth themselves that found out about the school and on their own initiative decided they wanted to attend!
Guys, thank you for offering up a part of your precious summer holidays time! ("Good on you!" as they say in Australia.) They make us proud!
Attendance was made possible due to the generous donations given by so many Parishioners of St. Elias who spontaneously contributed toward the tuition and room/board of the youth who wanted to attend.
It was a great experience
for the youth!
And the pay off is not just for the youth who attended, but also for the quality of our liturgical worship at the parish! It is already making a difference.
The Youth had fun, learned a lot, and got to meet other young people from all across the continent! Not a bad way to spend a couple of weeks in the summer.
Although the Summer School was a serious and rigorous programme, it
wasn't all work.
There was also fun, barbecues, and picnics - and even swimming!
When we had a Feast Day, we HAD A FEAST DAY!!!
What's "Pringles and Beer" in Old Church Slavonic?
The meals were terrific!
And we (the
parish) can also give ourselves a small pat on the back, because our
guys were so good that they got asked to...SING IN THE CHOIR OF THE MONASTERY
and to RING THE MONASTERY CHURCH BELLS (not just a matter of pulling
on the rope, but according to complex rubrics of Byzantine Bell ringing
melodies)! All those "impromptu" enforced music practices by Fr. Roman
(under the guise of giving the Youth "a ride home from Church") really
paid off big time!
Re the our Youths' bell ringing skills....believe it or not, they are
all auto-didactics!
We pray God to continue to have mercy and bless our parish Youth that as they grow up into young women and men, they continue to find their peace and joy in the Lord.
"To Thee, the Maker of all,
the Young Men formed a choir
and sang in the furnace:
Praise the Lord, all you works,
sing and exalt Him throughout all Ages."
Irmos 8, Matins Kanon Tone 5
re The Canticle of the Three Holy Youths:
Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego.
The Summer School of Liturgical Music
Actually the
full course of study at the Summer School of Liturgical Music at Holy
Trinity Seminary consists of three summer sessions. At the end of the
3 summers, the graduates will be certified as church choir directors
and/or readers.
Academic credit is given after successful completion of the third summer. Accredited by the Commissioner of Education and the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York.
Also, a non-certification track is offered to those seeking enrichment in the area of Liturgical Music but who do not intend to become church readers or choir directors.
The course load,
full or partial, may be agreed upon in consultation with the school administration.
Curriculum
History of Church Music
A survey of Sacred Music from the 10th through the 20th centuries.
Various types of chants,
early Church polyphony, 17th century multi-voice compositions, as well
as the great variety of representative 18th - 20th century choral styles
will be discussed, including the works of such masters as Bortniansky,
L'viv, Arkhanhelsky, Kastalsky, Chesnokov and Rachmaninov.
The course will be illustrated by rare recordings representative of the rich and vast repertoire of Sacred choral music.
Music theory and Musicianship
Presentation of
basic elements of music theory to help understand and analyse a musical
composition.
Topics covered include: intervals, modal and tonal concepts, chord progressions and harmonization, open and closed harmony, various types of triads and seventh chords and their inversions and resolutions, phrase structure, voice leading and cadential progressions.
The musicianship segment of this course covers sight singing and develops the musical ear.
An elementary and an advanced level are offered. Successful completion of the advanced level is mandatory for certification as choir director, and includes all major and minor tonalities, intervals, chords, chromaticism, and modulations.
Different meters and rhythmic patterns are studied, and musical dictation is given. The elementary level develops the basic skills of singing from a musical score and is required for certification as a church reader.
Choir Conducting
Techniques
This course deals with the three main elements of choral sonority: ensemble, intonation, and nuances, and provides guidelines to singers for mastering choral singing techniques.
Topics include: the difference between a choir and a group of singing people; the difference between choral sonority and the sound of singing voices; why one choir sounds better than another; and what can be done to improve the sound of a choir. The solutions to these problems will guide the choir director in his work.
In the workshop extension of the class, the student will rehearse and teach the music to the ensemble -- music from the Obikhod as well as free compositions.
Voice class
A practical approach to voice production. Basic principles of breath support, head and chest resonance, articulation, and phonation as they apply to choral church singing. The do's and don'ts of producing a singing tone. Some private instruction also available.
Church Slavonic
This course is
designed to give students a working knowledge of the liturgical language
of the Orthodox Slavs. After a brief introduction to the orthographic
system of Church Slavonic, the major part of the course for the first
two years is devoted to inflection morphology of the language.
Daily homework, periodic quizzes and a final examination require students to produce some forms actively, but the primary goal is to be able to read scriptural and liturgical texts with understanding. The third year focuses on the syntax of Church Slavonic and how it differs from English.
Liturgics for Choir Directors
An overview
of the history, structure, and meaning of the liturgical cycle in the
usage of the Church based upon the Jerusalem Typicon.
Students learn the nature of the four cycles in the liturgical year, and the contents and use of the books used in Orthodox worship.
This is followed by detailed analysis of how to perform the major services, with particular attention to the role of the choir director and psalmist.
During the first year Vespers and Matins are covered -- their components, history.
In subsequent years the Divine Liturgy, the occasional services (trebi) and the services associated with the Lenten and Paschal seasons are covered.
Liturgical Performance Practice
Contemporary
Church parish practice.
Various aspects of kliros singing, the problems relating to this, and their solutions.
The eight-tone system and its use in the Church.
Course work over the three summer sessions includes:
(1) Stichera and Troparia,
(2) Hiermos and Prokimena,
(3) Special Melodies (10 Podobni).
All melodies are to be memorized.
Our Youth had a great time and their presence was appreciated by all participants.
Sing to him a new
song;
play skilfully,
and shout for joy.
(Psalm 33:3)
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