Teaching the chant of the Byzantine Catholic Church
Brother Augustine of the Byzantine Rite Franciscan house in Sybertsville, PA provided the Metropolitan Cantor Institute with a book of harmonized music for the Paschal season. Here is a 3-part setting of the alternate “Christ is risen” found on page 171 of our Divine Liturgies book:
The entire book can be found here. Please try singing them and let us know what you think!
This year, the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh is inaugurating a regular summer church music program for cantors, choir directors, and section leaders. For 2017, the program will consist of a three-day master class and workshop to be held on July 12-14 at Ss. Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA. Continue reading “2017 Summer Church Music Program”
As part of the MCI Online program, the following new articles have been added to the MCI website: Continue reading “New articles on the MCI website”
Now that the first two MCI Online cantor education classes are about to begin, I’d like to talk about some of the improvements we’re making. Continue reading “What’s new in the MCI Online classes”
All cantors of the Eparchy of Passaic are invited to a gathering of cantors to be held on Saturday, February 18, from 11 AM to 1 PM at Holy Dormition Byzantine Franciscan Friary, Route 92, Sybertsville PA.
Agenda items:
Coffee and Danish will be available from 10:30 on, and a light lenten lunch will be available for those who can stay past 1 PM. If you would like to stay for lunch, please contact Phil Yevics at philyevics@gmail.com or (570)239-0611 so that adequate preparations can be made.
Please bring the names of deceased cantors from your parish, since this is the first All Souls’ Saturday for this year.
In preparation for our online classes, which begin in February, the Metropolitan Cantor Institute has acquired a site license for Theta Music Trainer, a website with computer- and smartphone-based games that teach pitch matching, recognition and singing of scales and intervals, and other important skills.
Complete access to this website is available to all cantors in the Byzantine Catholic Church, as well as students in the MCI Online program. For more information, see the Theta Music Trainer page on the MCI website.
A paraliturgical hymn that was sung recently in many of our parishes, “To Jordan’s Water”, illustrates several of the issues we are facing with a new hymnal for the Byzantine Catholic Church.
Continue reading ““To Jordan’s Water” – understanding the issues with a new hymnal”
At the request of the Inter-Eparchial Music Commission, the Metropolitan Cantor Institute is sponsoring initial work on a hymal – that is, a collection of paraliturgical hymns for singing before and after the Divine Liturgy, and on other church occasions as well.
On Saturday, October 2, 2016, we held a workshop on paraliturgical hymns at which we sang through a variety of our hymns, and discussed what might go into the proposed hymnal. A complete recording of this workshop is now available, along with the handout that was distributed.
Please take a listen, and if you have thoughts on the subject, or things you’d like to suggest go into the new collection, please leave a comment here!
The Metropolitan Cantor Institute will offer the following online courses in 2017:
Introduction to Liturgy – February 12 to April 7, 2017
An 8-week introduction to the liturgical services and traditions of the Byzantine Rite. The course will cover the liturgical day and week, fixed and moveable feasts, the Divine Liturgy and holy mysteries. This is an introductory course that establishes liturgical knowledge for further cantor education. (No singing component.) Tuition: $50.
Introduction to Church Singing – February 12 to April 7
An 8-week course that covers the fundamentals of plain chant: musical scales and notation, ear training, basic vocal technique, and the simplest chant melodies: singing on a single pitch, chanting to the usual psalm tone, and singing basic responses such as “Amen” and “Lord, have mercy.” Students will record their singing for review and feedback. Tuition: $75. Continue reading “Online Courses for 2017”
Every Sunday morning, parishioners of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Parma, Ohio pray full Matins, led by the harmonized chant of eight fellow parishioners, most of them seasoned cantors.
What began as a special initiative to offer Vespers every Sunday evening during the Great Fast, blossomed into an ongoing commitment to chant weekly Matins.
Father Andrew Summerson, who leads the singers and who serves as parochial vicar, said some parishioners had approached him with the desire to continue offering the same quality chant they had offered during the Great Fast during Holy Week and Pascha.
Thus began the cathedral singers, who after Pascha, took on Matins, which are now sung entirely in English. Continue reading “Matins at the Cathedral in Parma”