In Judaism, all holy texts are meant to be chanted, including the Five Books of Moses in the Hebrew Bible. The melodies of the chant are based on diacritical markings (trope markings or te’amim) added to the text around the year 1000 CE, in order to clarify the pronunciation and grammar of the Hebrew. The actual melodies that are chanted in the European (Ashkenaz) tradition are from the late middle ages. This workshop will give an introduction to the form and function of the te’amim, as well as the melodies associated with them. Participants will be invited to sing along with the examples of the different trope markings and to hear how they connect with each other to elucidate the text.

This workshop is part of the Fifth Boston Byzantine Music Festival.