Genres of Byzantine music

thumbnail|The Akathist Hymn in Church Slavonic language. Oikos One.

thumb|Trinity (Andrei Rublev)|Old Testament Trinity [[icon by Andrei Rublev, (Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow)]] The Trisagion (; 'Thrice Holy'), sometimes called by its incipit Agios O Theos, is a standard hymn of ancient origin of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox, Western Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic churches.

A kontakion (Greek , kondákion, plural κοντάκια, kondákia) is a form of hymn in the Byzantine liturgical tradition. The kontakion form originated in Syriac hymnography and gained prominence in Byzantium during the 6th century, particularly through the work of St. Romanos the Melodist of Emesa. Kontakia have a number of strophes (oikoi or ikoi, stanzas; singular oikos or ikos) and begin with a prologue (the prooimoion or koukoulion). A kontakion sometimes has a biblical theme and may feature a dialogue between biblical characters. The only kontakion that is used in full length today is the Ak

In the context of Christian liturgy, a canticle (; from the Latin canticulum, a diminutive of canticum, "song") is a psalm-like song with biblical lyrics taken from elsewhere than the Book of Psalms, but included in psalters and books such as the breviary. Of special importance to the Divine Office are three New Testament Canticles that are the climaxes of the Offices of Lauds, Vespers and Compline; these are respectively Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79), Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) and Nunc dimittis (Luke 2:29-32). There are also a number of Canticles taken from the Old Testament.

thumb|200px|A hand-drawn Old Believer [[lubok featuring 'hook and banner notation'.]]

Marian hymn; chanted in the Divine Services of the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches

thumb|Orthodox priest and deacons praying the Cherubic Hymn at the beginning of the Great Entrance

song

structured hymn used in a number of Eastern Orthodox services

A kathisma (Greek: κάθισμα; Church Slavonic: каѳисма, kafisma), literally, "seat", is a division of the Psalter, used in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Rite Catholic churches. The word may also describe a hymn sung at Matins, a seat used in monastic churches, or a type of monastic establishment.

The irmos (or heirmos from ) in the Byzantine liturgical tradition is the initial troparion of an ode of a canon. The meter and melody of an irmos is followed by the remaining troparia of the ode; when more than one canon is used (as is typical at matins), only the first canon's irmos is sung, but the irmoi of the subsequent canons must be known in order to determine an ode's melody and so, even in canons where it is known that the irmos is never sung, the irmos is nonetheless specified. Note that in the Russian tradition, often only the irmos is sung, the rest of the ode simply being read; in

In Ancient Roman and Byzantine tradition, acclamatio (Koiné aktologia) was the public expression of approbation or disapprobation, pleasure or displeasure, etc., by loud acclamations. On many occasions, there appear to have been certain forms of acclamations always used by the Romans; as, for instance, at marriages, ', ', or '; at triumphs, '; at the conclusion of plays the last actor called out ' to the spectators; orators were usually praised by such expressions as ', ', ', etc.

A sticheron (Greek: "set in verses"; plural: stichera; Greek: ) is a hymn of a particular genre sung during the daily evening (Hesperinos/Vespers) and morning (Orthros) offices, and some other services, of the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches.

In the liturgical practice of the Orthodox Church and Byzantine Rite, a prokeimenon (Greek , plural '; sometimes /'; lit. 'that which precedes') is a psalm or canticle refrain sung responsorially at certain specified points of the Divine Liturgy or the Divine Office, usually to introduce a scripture reading. It corresponds to the Gradual of the Roman Mass.

The Exapostilarion (, pl. ἐξαποστειλάρια Exapostilaria; Russian Ексапостила́рий) is a hymn or group of hymns chanted in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches at the conclusion of the Canon near the end of Matins. The Exapostilarion is chanted after the Little Litany that follows the Ninth Ode of the Canon.

The Polychronion (Greek: Πολυχρόνιον, "many years"; , ; ) is a solemn encomium chanted in the liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches. In the Roman rite, it is the equivalent of the liturgical acclamation Ad multos annos.

thumb|300px|Russian icon of [[Our Lady of Vladimir.]] A theotokion (; pl. ) is a hymn to Mary the Theotokos (), which is a troparion or sticheron read or chanted during the canonical hours and Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, as well as in the praises of the Oriental Orthodox churches.

The Polyeleos is a festive portion of the Matins or All-Night Vigil service as observed on higher-ranking feast days in the Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Lutheran, and Byzantine Rite Catholic Churches. The Polyeleos is considered to be the high point of the service, and contains the reading of the Matins Gospel. Because of its liturgical importance, settings for the Polyeleos have been composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff and others.

The Megalynarion (Greek , "magnification", "that which magnifies"; also called Velichaniye in Church Slavonic) is a special hymn used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches that follow the Byzantine Rite. Depending on the local liturgical tradition, this hymn can be one of several.