Amy and Richard talk to Christian Farradj, the host of Ancient Faith’s new Byzantine chant series on Ancient Faith Kids. Christian shares about his journey making the leap from altar to analogion in his youth, and the opportunities and challenges of learning Byzantine music in a time when there are more resources and interest than ever before. As a special bonus, Christian’s heretofore unknown family connection with one of the hosts is also revealed! A Joyful Noise on Ancient Faith Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DnLPPx1wZo&t=321s

Amy and Richard talk to Christina Stravros Kidonakis, the Protopsaltria at All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Joliet, Illinois. Christina was a pioneer for the Byzantine Chant Certificate Program at Hellenic College Holy Cross School of Theology and is the coordinator of the Synaxis of Orthodox Women Byzantine Cantors, an annual educational event in Chicago for women who are active in Byzantine music. You can find out more about the Synaxis of Orthodox Women Byzantine Cantors on the St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church website.

Amy and Richard welcome back John Michael Boyer to talk about his new textbook for Byzantine music aimed specifically at English language readers. They have a conversation about the book's beginnings, John's nearly two decades long writing process, what it offers cantors, and how the chant landscape has changed in North America since he first had the idea for the book. Show notes: John Michael Boyer, Saint John Koukouzelis Institute of Liturgical Arts, koukouzelis.net Byzantine Chant: The Received Tradition - A Lesson Book, ByzChantLessonBook.com Book launch at Maliotis Cultural Center, https://maliotis.hchc.edu/index.php/event/byzantine-chant-the-received-tradition-with-john-michael-boyer/ Cappella Romana Publishing, cappellaromana.org Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, New Orleans, LA, holytrinitycathedral.org

Demetrios Katsiklis is the newly-appointed Master Chanter of the newly-reopened St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at Ground Zero. In this episode he talks to Amy and Richard about his upbringing in Greece, his chanting education, the challenges and opportunities of daily worship at one of the most visible Orthodox churches in the United States, and the intentionality of establishing St. Nicholas as a bilingual (Greek/English) worshipping community.

Amy and Richard chat with the composers of Heaven and Earth, Cappella Romana's latest CD release, about the influence of Byzantine chant on this unique collaborative work. Heaven and Earth by Cappella Romana, recording release, October 14 2022 Heaven and Earth, concerts in Seattle and Portland, October 14-16 2022 Heaven and Earth: A Song of Creation performing edition, complete and individual movements, Musica Russica Background on Heaven and Earth: A Song of Creation CERN’s Higgs boson discovery Archimandrite +Ephrem (Lash) - Fr. Ephrem’s translation of Ps103, from draft to final Tikey Zes - The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom CD release - Tikey Zes: Choral Works CD release +Richard Toensing - Kontakion on the Nativity of Christ with new Orthodox Christmas Carols CD release Kurt Sander - The Divine Liturgy CD release Alexander Khalil - The Science Network interview John Michael Boyer - The Divine Liturgy in English CD release Matthew Arndt - Interview with Society of St. Romanos the Melodist

In this episode Amy and Richard discuss the 4th Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion. You can find the score and recordings of the hymn on paralaggi and melos in the show notes, as well as a scale chart for reference. 4th Mode Resurrection Apolytikion in Byzantine notation, by Papa Ephraim 4th Mode Resurrection Apolytikion in Western notation, by Papa Ephraim Parallagi Recording, Amy Hogg Melos Recording, Amy Hogg Parallagi Recording, Richard Barrett Melos Recording, Richard Barrett Scales Chart (B & W): https://trisagion-school.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2021/01/Trisagion-School-Scale-Chart-B-and-W.pdf Scales Chart (Color): https://trisagion-school.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2021/01/Trisagion-School-Scale-Chart-Color.pdf Recordings of the 4th Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion in Greek: The Choir of Theodore Vasilikos Thrasyvoulos Stanitsas Pan Hellenic League of Sacred Cantors

Amy and Richard talk to Brown University’s Susan Ashbrook Harvey about her work, including liturgical aesthetics in late antiquity, and how St. Ephraim the Syrian’s choirs of women in fourth century Edessa might be helpful models for us today. Show Notes: Extract from Jacob of Serug’s Homily on St. Ephraim the Syrian [Hyperlink to the pdf which is attached to the email] More of Susan Ashbrook Harvey’s Work: Music as Liturgy: Models from Ancient Syriac Christianity: ISOCM Presentation ISOCM Publication Performance as Exegesis: Women’s Liturgical Choirs in Syriac Tradition On Mary’s Voice: Gendered Words in Syriac Marian Tradition Singing Women’s Stories in Syriac Tradition Revisiting the Daughters of the Covenant: Women’s Choirs and Sacred Song in Ancient Syriac Christianity Modern Syrian Women’s Choirs: Syriac Choir of Nouri Iskandar, Aleppo Choir of St. Petrus, Stockholm Syriac Music Institute

In this episode Amy and Richard discuss the 3rd Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion. You can find the score and recordings of the hymn on paralaggi and melos in the show notes, as well as a scale chart for reference. 3rd Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion - Looped Recording 3rd Mode Resurrection Apolytikion in Byzantine notation, by Papa Ephraim 3rd Mode Resurrection Apolytikion in Western notation, by Papa Ephraim Scales Chart (B & W) Scales Chart (Color)

Richard and Amy discuss some of the spiritual, mental, and physical disciplines that they have found helpful in overcoming chanting related nervousness and anxiety. Amy explains what happens in the voice box during strong emotions, why this can negatively impact our ability to chant, and then models some exercises showing how to identify and learn to control the muscles involved.

This year, Richard chanted nameday services for his patron, Saint Richard of Wessex (7 February) for the very first time. In this episode, he tells the story of how all of that came to be, what it has to do with Byzantine chant in English, and how it brought together many people who have been on the show over the years. Livestream video of the service at Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church, Somerville, MA Apolytikion Samuel Herron’s Doxastikon Service order Byz scores Staff scores Icon by Brian Matthew Whirledge

Richard and Amy tell us what they have been up to the last few months during their podcasting absence. Both have started new positions, Richard as Director of Publications, Grants, and Operations for Cappella Romana and Amy as the Protopsaltria as St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Pittsburgh.

Richard and Amy focus on the 2nd Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion in this episode, discussing the mode's structural notes and scale. They talk about common pitfalls of the Soft Chromatic scale and give tips on tuning. You can find the score and recordings of the hymn on paralaggi and melos in the show notes. 2nd Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion Score (Papa Ephraim) 2nd Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion Score (Father Seraphim Dedes) 2nd Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion Score (John Michael Boyer) 2nd Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion: Paralaggi (Amy) 2nd Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion: Melos (Amy) 2nd Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion: Paralaggi (Richard) 2nd Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion: Melos (Richard)

In these two episodes Richard and Amy work through the 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion, discussing the mode's structural notes, scale, common intervals, and attractions. You can find the score and recordings of the hymn on parallagi and melos (set from Pa equal to both A and D) in the show notes. Part 2 of 2 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion Score (Papa Ephraim) 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion (Father Seraphim) 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion (John Michael Boyer) 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion: Paralaggi (Richard) 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion: Melos (Richard) 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion: Paralaggi (Amy) 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion: Melos (Amy)

In these two episodes Richard and Amy work through the 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion, discussing the mode's structural notes, scale, common intervals, and attractions. You can find the score and recordings of the hymn on parallagi and melos (set from Pa equal to both A and D) in the show notes. Part 1 of 2 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion Score (Papa Ephraim) 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion: Paralaggi (Richard) 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion: Melos (Richard) 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion: Paralaggi (Amy) 1st Mode Resurrectional Apolytikion: Melos (Amy)

Amy and Richard conclude their conversation with Chadi Karam. In this segment Chadi discusses more of the chanting context for Orthodox in Lebanon, including the participation of women, the legacy of Mitri El Murr, and the composers and cantors active today. Part 3 of 3.

Richard and Amy continue their conversation with Chadi Karam. In this segment Chadi explains his composition process, shares some projects he is working on, and talks about some of the hurdles involved when composing in English. Part 2 of 3.

Amy and Richard talk to composer and cantor Chadi Karam about his composition efforts for the Antiochian Archdiocese and his own grounding and education in the Arabic-language chant world. Part 1 of 3.

Photini Downie Robinson is the left cantor on staff at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Portland, OR, a professional singer with Cappella Romana, and the teacher behind the Yphos Voice Studio. In the second of a two-part conversation, Amy, Richard, and Photini continue to discuss her journey with the tradition of the Psaltic Art, as well as hear about a number of upcoming efforts. Cappella Romana's Hymn of Kassiani Project: Click here Listen to the panel discussion "Women in Sacred Chant: Past and Present." Click here Photini's Voice Studio: Yphos Voice Studio: Click here

Photini Downie Robinson is the left cantor on staff at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Portland, OR, a professional singer with Cappella Romana, and the teacher behind the Yphos Voice Studio. In the first of a two-part conversation, Amy and Richard talk to Photini about her experience learning Byzantine music through professional music making, her own discoveries about how chant works in womens' voices, and her reflections on the repertoire as a voice teacher. Cappella Romana's Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia project: Click here Photini's Voice Studio: Yphos Voice Studio: Click here

The Hymn of Kassiani is one of the highlights of Holy Week! Amy and Richard take a deep dive into the tradition of long settings of this hymn, with composer and cantor Samuel Herron of Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Scottsdale, AZ leading an in-depth walkthrough of his 20 minute English-language setting. The score can be found here, and the recording can be found here. You can find the Dynamis Ensemble's album "A Journey Through Lent to Holy Week" at https://www.dynamisensemble.org/ Part 2 of 2.