Holy Diocese of Chora: Sanctification Service for the new academic year of the Byzantine Music School

The Sanctification Service (Agiasmos) for the beginning of the new academic year was celebrated with particular splendour and reverence at the Byzantine Music School campus of the Holy Diocese of Chora.

The Sanctification Service was conducted by His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Chora, who conveyed the paternal wishes and blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia to the teachers and students of the school.

In his address, His Grace emphasised the sacredness and spiritual dimension of Byzantine Music, underlining that it is not just an art, but a sacred ministry, which requires humility, prayer and an experiential approach. “The chanter is not a simple performer of melodies, but a minister of the Church, who through the melodies transmits the experience of divine worship and leads the people of God in prayer,” he said.

In closing, Bishop Evmenios invited the students to delve not only into the theory and technique of the art of chanting, but also into the spiritual life, which is the foundation of every true expression of church music. “Chanting is an extension of prayer,” he pointed out, “and the fruit of inner purity. Therefore, participation in Divine Worship is not just an obligation, but an integral part of our spiritual life.”