Adelaide: The passing away and funeral of Mr. Ilias Fragoulis
The Holy Diocese of Adelaide was saddened by the recent departure of Archon Protopsaltis of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia Ilias Fragoulis on Saturday the 3rd of May 2025 – a sorrow that echoes across the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia as a whole and indeed all across the world.
Ilias Fragoulis of blessed memory, or “kyr-Ilia” as he was affectionately known, was born in Rhodes in 1929. He began learning Byzantine music from teachers who had learned the sacred art of chant in Constantinople and had migrated to Rhodes. At the age of 15 he completed his Diploma in Byzantine Music with a high distinction and at the age of 16 was appointed head chanter at the church of Saints Kosmas and Damianos in Rhodes. Two years later he was appointed head chanter of the church of Saint Panteleimon in Rhodes where he remained until doing his military service in the Greek town of Giannitsa, where he chanted at the Church of Saint George.
After migrating to Australia in 1955, Ilias Fragoulis chanted for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia in Adelaide – first at the church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, and then from 1959 as head chanter in the churches of Prophet Elias, Norwood, then Saint Anthony, Prospect, and finally Saint George, Thebarton.
Ilias Fragoulis’ contribution to chanting in the Church is difficult to overstate. During his years as a chanter, he worked ceaselessly and without monetary recompense, teaching scores of young men who today serve the chant stands – not only of the Greek Orthodox churches of Adelaide, but also those across Australia, Cyprus and the United States.
With his demeanour and phronema on the chanter’s stand (analogion), Mr Fragoulis transmitted to and taught his numerous students the ecclesiastical ethos of chanting, as well as the modest and simple, yet majestic style of the patriarchal psalmody as it is executed at the Holy Patriarchal Church of St George in Constantinople. This style of chant, brilliantly personified in the hymnodic expressions of Mr Fragoulis, is both mystical and prayerful, while being powerful because it is humble.
In 1996 he helped establish the Association of Friends of Ecclesiastical Byzantine Music of South Australia “St John of Damascus” and was its inaugural president. As choir master, he conducted over one hundred (100) concerts and oratorios with his students for almost twenty-five (25) years. In honour of his service to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, Ilias Fragoulis was made Archon Protopsalt of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia by His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of Australia in 1996. Even after his official retirement he never lost his love or enthusiasm for the sacred art of Byzantine Chant – an enthusiasm that saw him attempting to establish a chanting group with his fellow residents during his final months while residing at St Basil’s Homes.
You can follow the life story of the late Ilias Fragoulis, as he narrated it on “Our People Their Stories”, HERE.
With the blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia, the bedside Trisagion service was conducted by His Grace Bishop Silouan of Adelaide, fittingly accompanied by Fr John Saredakis, who was himself a former student of Ilias Fragoulis and his immediate successor as head chanter of St George Thebarton upon his retirement.
Ilia Fragoulis’ funeral was subsequently held at the church of Saint George, Thebarton in Adelaide on Friday 9th May 2025 – the very church where he had served the latter part of his life as head chanter. The service was presided by the parish rector Fr Diogenes Patsouris, Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne, who conveyed the blessings and condolences of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia and of His Grace Bishop Silouan of Adelaide (who were overseas and unable to be there in person) and spoke movingly about Ilias Fragoulis’ life service. Both chant stands (analogia) were filled well beyond capacity with students of Ilia Fragoulis who had come to farewell their beloved and respected teacher. Tributes were also given by the current president of the Association of Friends of Ecclesiastical Byzantine Music of SA, Mr Alexander Demetriou, as well as representatives from the Parish-Communities of St George-Thebarton and Prophet Elias-Norwood, as well as the Pan-Rhodian Society “Colossus” SA.
May his memory be eternal.
