A wonderful teaching tool for Byzantine Chant

I take part in several e-groups for Orthodox choir directors, and one of the contributors sent in a web site which appears most useful.

Basically, Holy Cross Seminary (the American Greek Orthodox Church's major seminary) and Hellenic College has developed a program for learning the Byzantine chant for the apolytikia hymns of the major feasts, in both Greek and English, with good recordings of the psaltis who sings the hymns, the text in Greek and English, western musical notation, and (modern) Byzantine neumic notation. There is also a wealth of information as regards the ikon of the feast, the theology behind feast, hymn, and ikon, and the scriptures and other readings associated with the feast.

As far as I can see, the only thing it lacks is instruction in how to read the Byzantine neums, and it looks as if that is currently in the works.

While one has to register in order to use the program, it appears that the registration process is free. Do please give it a try.