• Dr. Olga Dolskaya, University of Kansas
• Joanna Grigorieff, University of Toronto
• Dr. Joseph McLellan, Brown University
• Nikolai Myshkin, Moscow Conservatory
• Anatoly Panchoshnyy, Gnesin Musical Academy
• Rev. Andre Papkov, New England Conservatory

• Tuition $400.00
• Room & Board $400.00
• Total $800.00
• Please make all cheques payable to Holy Trinity Seminary

If the candidates are sponsored and paid for by their parish, a discount of $50.00 is offered to the parish, in that case payment should be made by parish cheque. Students arriving from countries with unstable currencies (Russia, South America) are eligible for a special discount. For those students not taking the full course load, each separate course is $75.00, plus the regular room and board fee of $400.00. Instruction is given in Russian and English. While knowledge of Russian is helpful, it is not essential for study.

A survey of Russian sacred music from the 10th through the 20th centuries, Various types of chants, early Russian polyphony, 17th century multi-voice compositions, as well as the great variety of representative 18th-20th century choral style will be discussed, including the works of such real masters as Bortniansky, Lvov, Archangelsky, Kastalsky, Chesnokov and Rachmaninov. The course will be illustrated by rare recordings representative of the rich and vast repertoire of Russian choral music.

Music Theory and Musicianship

Presentation of basic elements of music theory to help understand and analyze a musical composition Topics covered include: intervals, modal and tonal concepts, chord progressions and harmonization techniques, 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 solution to these problems will guide the choir director in his work. In the workshop extension of this class, the student will rehearse and leach 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 Russian 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 in the standard recension of the Russian Orthodox Church. 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 inflectional 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 that of Russian and English.

Liturgics for Choir Directors

An overview of the history, structure, and meaning of the liturgical cycle in the usage of the Russian Orthodox 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 a 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 Russian parish practice. Various aspects of kliros singing, the problems relating to this, and their solution. The eight tone system and its use in the Russian Church. Coursework 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.