Reading Psalmodia (PDF) - St. Anthony's Monastery

the poetic metre is, of course, the stress-accentual metre of post-classical Byzantineverse, not the quantitative metre of classical verse.In the absence of any other metrical indication, the musical text is presumed to bewritten in duple or quadruple rhythm, except where accentual rhythm dictatesotherwise. The name of the automelon to which a prosomion is sung, the use of bar-linesto mark the feet of the musical metre and direct rhythmic instructions such as "trisimos" -in triple time - may all be used to indicate metre.In recent years, some melodes have begun to iron out the melodic irregularities of thetraditional melodies of the prosomia, singing virtually them all in a regular quadruplerhythm that completely annihilates the rhythmic subtlety of the hymns. It does,however, make it somewhat easier for congregations to learn the troparia.The chant makes use of a variety of Tempi, and the signs for them are differentlyinterpreted by different singers and different schools. One important thing to note is thatthe pace at which the troparia of a Canon should be sung is a brisk musical walkingpace, a much more rapid pace than that at which Western hymns are normally sung.