INTRODUCTION

In the process of analyzing Orthodox hymnography, it is necessary to identify all the separate regional repertoires. In order to make this system logical, we first need to have an organizational structure as a framework for our classification of repertoires. As a model, I have chosen the biological system, in which the organization of living things can be seen like a pyramid or tree with seven major levels or categories: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. However, for our purposes we begin by identifying five separate Families, each of which possess their own [somewhat] distinct systems of notation, music theory and melodic repertoires:

• Byzantine Chants
• Byzantine-Derived South Slavic Chants
• The East Slavic Chants
• Georgian Chant
• Other Traditions of Related Interest

Within each of these five Families (presented below) we can then isolate various regional or local chant systems. The East-Slavic Family of chants is by far the most complex, and we must further divide the system into three sub-families, each of which have separate regional groups of local repertoires.