With great solemnity and reverence, the Blessing ceremony for the new academic year was celebrated at the Byzantine Music School of the Holy Diocese of Chora.
The service was officiated by Bishop Eumenios of Chora, who conveyed the paternal wishes and blessings of His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia to the faculty and students of the School.
In his address, Bishop Eumenios emphasized the sacred and spiritual dimension of Byzantine Music, highlighting that it is not merely an art form but a sacred ministry requiring humility, prayer, and a lived experience of faith. “The chanter is not merely a performer of melodies but a liturgical minister of the Church, who, through sacred hymns, transmits the experience of divine worship and leads the people of God in prayer,” he remarked.
He urged the students to immerse themselves not only in the theoretical and technical aspects of chanting but also in the spiritual life, which forms the foundation of every genuine expression of ecclesiastical music. “Chanting is an extension of prayer,” he underlined, “and the fruit of inner purity. This is why participation in Divine Worship is not just a duty but an inseparable part of our spiritual journey.”
