Football, basketball, tennis. Foreign languages, private tutoring, fine arts lessons. We are accustomed to children engaging in countless extracurricular activities. But the image of students being initiated into the art of liturgical music and participating in a church choir is certainly rare—or perhaps not.
In 2011, musicologist and liturgical scholar Spyridon Aspiotis decided to give form and substance to what was, at the time, a rather unusual vision. He founded the “Eirmos” Academy, the first institution in Greece devoted entirely to Byzantine music and chant for children.
The Lessons
“The school has been operating for 14 years. Our teaching is an amalgam of ancient Greek and Byzantine music, inspired by the way children in Byzantium were taught music from a very young age—almost as they learned their mother tongue. At the same time, we apply modern methods of music pedagogy. This is a methodology I developed through study and research and, as far as we know, it is unique in Greece. We begin at very young ages, even preschool. We have primary, middle and high school students, university students, as well as programs for pregnant women. Our goal is for traditional music and chant to be experienced as a ‘musical mother tongue,’” he explains.
At the academy—now operating under the auspices of the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki and supported by the Monasteries of Dochiariou and Vatopedi on Mount Athos—Mr. Aspiotis has put into practice both his academic knowledge and experiences rooted in childhood. The son of a priest, he stood at the chanter’s lectern from an early age.
“I began chanting at the age of 12. I come from Corfu, a place with a strong musical tradition. I studied at the Ionian University, continued my studies in Byzantine music under Lykourgos Angelopoulos, and trained for three years at the Phanar. I taught at the university for seven years and then settled in Thessaloniki,” he summarizes.
Beyond the academy and its choir—which, as Mr. Aspiotis notes, is a liturgical choir, participating every Sunday in the Divine Liturgy according to the Athonite typikon—the energetic music educator also coordinates educational programs of the Holy Metropolis of Thessaloniki. The response has been far greater than one might expect. Last March, for example, 400 students of all ages from schools across the country gathered in Thessaloniki and chanted the Akathist Hymn at the early Christian Church of Panagia Acheiropoietos.
“I rejoice every time I see and concelebrate with the children of the academy. I feel the beauty that youth brings to every act of worship in the Church. I hope others will also take joy from the example of ‘Eirmos’ and that this work will find imitators,” notes His Eminence Metropolitan Philotheos of Thessaloniki, speaking to To Vima.
Most children discover chant through their parents. But family is merely the starting point for exploring a world where art and spirituality coexist. Styliani Papadimitriou, a fifth-grade student, became acquainted with chant thanks to her choir-singer parents.
“What I like most is that every Sunday when we chant in church, children’s voices are heard among the men’s voices, creating a beautiful and reverent atmosphere. I also enjoy the companionship and playing with the other children in the choir after each service,” she says.
But wait—what role do women have in a chant academy? Isn’t chanting an exclusively male domain? As Mr. Aspiotis explains, this widely held belief is incorrect. A clear example is 20-year-old Despoina Tyrgiakidou, a university student, graduate in Byzantine music, and chorister at “Eirmos.” A promotional leaflet she encountered in second grade opened the door to a pursuit that unexpectedly broadened her horizons.
“Chanting helped me feel a more meaningful connection with faith. Through liturgical practice, hymnography, and typikon, I am able to better understand the process of a sacrament or service—let alone participate actively. It has also contributed to shaping my character in moral matters, as well as discipline, perseverance, and patience. You know, chanting—and even faith—often seems strange or odd to many people today. In the past, it caused problems at school or among friends, sometimes teasing or ridicule. Many times, I hid it. Now, having chosen my circle, there is respect, communication, and support from those close to me, regardless of their relationship with religion,” she concludes.
Those who see children at the church lectern may never stop being surprised. More often than not, however, that surprise is now a pleasant one, says Konstantios Aspiotis, a second-year middle school student and son of the academy’s founder.
“People aren’t used to seeing young children chanting. In elementary school, when I said I chant or study Byzantine music, some classmates didn’t care, others made fun of me. In middle school, I don’t face such issues. Through this music, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to other cities to chant, but above all to visit Mount Athos many times. Chanting has helped me spiritually and psychologically. I’ve gained experiences that I don’t think any other kind of music could offer.”
“It Fills Me Spiritually and Emotionally”
Thomas Thomos, now a third-year high school student with five years of study at the academy, agrees.
“Learning Byzantine music helped me feel more mature and more connected to God. Chanting has now become part of my daily life. It fills me emotionally and spiritually.”
Spiritual growth and cultivation are also cited by a mother of academy students—who wishes to remain anonymous—as reasons she and her children engage with Byzantine music.
“There is nothing more beautiful than children being involved in something that teaches only love, peace, and solidarity. It is musical development, but also spiritual. There is no greater image than children chanting. There, you are certain that prayers are heard. There, you see the hope of the world.”
