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Post Orthodox Chants

Here, let us share Chants from around the world:

[youtube]LJcBgcHkdac[/youtube]
Phos Hilaron - Φῶς Ἱλαρόν

This is one of the oldest Byzantine chants, dating to the 3rd or 4th century. Here is the text:

Φῶς ἱλαρὸν ἁγίας δόξης ἀθανάτου Πατρός,
οὐρανίου, ἁγίου, μάκαρος, Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ,

ἐλθόντες ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλίου δύσιν, ἰδόντες φῶς ἑσπερινόν,
ὑμνοῦμεν Πατέρα, Υἱόν, καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, Θεόν.

Ἄξιόν σε ἐν πᾶσι καιροῖς ὑμνεῖσθαι φωναῖς αἰσίαις,
Υἱὲ Θεοῦ, ζωὴν ὁ διδούς· διὸ ὁ κόσμος σὲ δοξάζει.
 

SageTree

Spiritual Friend
Premium Member
I recently just joined a Chant choir at the Anglican Church I attend.
Doing it there, has enabled me to do it throughout my day and in my meditations.
Has been life changing.

Thanks for your post. :)
 
Boston Byzantine Choir chanting the Paschal Troparion in Mandarin Chinese

[youtube]Vl54xwJbE3E[/youtube]
Boston Byzantine Choir chanting Paschal Troparion in Mandarin Chinese - YouTube

Christianity was introduced to China in the 1st century AD, and Syriac Christianity was established by missionaries. However, since there were few converts at the time, Christianity died out. It was re-introduced in the 7th century by the Nestorians, and again in the 12th century via the Silk Road.

The modern Chinese Orthodox Church is an Eastern Orthodox church in China. Orthodoxy was introduced to China in the early 1700's by Russia, and the Chinese Orthodox Church was granted autonomy by its mother church, the Russian Orthodox Church in the mid-1950s.
 

Shiranui117

Pronounced Shee-ra-noo-ee
Premium Member
[YOUTUBE]OoaekFjSxvU[/YOUTUBE]
Paschal Stichera in Church Slavonic with English subtitles

The Paschal Stichera is my favorite hymn. During the Paschal(Easter) Season, it is sung during Paschal Matins, and (in my mission church anyway,) during every Vespers between Pascha and Pentecost. I also love singing this English version at church:

[youtube]JUxMyxRbalo[/youtube]
Let God Arise

The Byzantine chant conveys the mystery, awe and the miraculous nature of the Resurrection, and I feel the English rendition captures the joy and freedom that we have in Christ's Resurrection. :)
 
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Shiranui117

Pronounced Shee-ra-noo-ee
Premium Member
I just found a boatload of recordings of Orthodox chant and liturgical music--specifically, the traditional melodious chanting style of the Carpatho-Rusyn Orthodox, known as prostopinije/prostopiniye chant. In my time of attending an ACROD parish, I've absolutely fallen in love with this chanting style--it's so easy to follow along, I've never needed any sheet music to be able to pick up the melody :D American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the USA | Plain Chant Hymns

There's also a website called Ancient Faith Radio. They have a lot of educational podcasts, but they also have a continuous stream of Orthodox liturgical music from all traditions and countries, along with a "Now Playing" list so you can see the title of the hymn and the names of those chanting. Just open up one of the "Music" streams (it doesn't really matter which one; the only difference is streaming quality) Listen Options - Ancient Faith Radio
 

Shiranui117

Pronounced Shee-ra-noo-ee
Premium Member
Indeed. :) We gotta get through Holy Week first, though!

Liturgically speaking, it's Good Friday already here in Europe--past sunset. So, here's the Exapostilarion of Good Friday! This one hits me straight in the feels. Listening to some of the stuff from Holy Week does actually make me shed tears. The music really transports you to the scene of the good thief asking the Lord to remember him.

[youtube]aguAR3TS5XM[/youtube]
Text: "The Wise Thief didst Thou make worthy of Paradise in a single moment, O Lord. By the wood of thy Cross illumine me as well, and save me."
 

Shiranui117

Pronounced Shee-ra-noo-ee
Premium Member
Oh, and this is one of my favorites:
[youtube]V6s5Jo3Je5Q[/youtube]
The chant is in Romanian, so here's the English text:
http://newbyz.org/lamentationsletter

A small taste...
In a grave they laid thee, O my Life and my Christ: and the armies of the angels were so amazed as they sang the praise of thy submissive love.

2-O my sweet Lord Jesus, my salvation and my light, how art t
hou now by a grave and its darkness hid? How unspeakable the mystry of thy love?

3-Gone the light the world knew, gone the light that was mine; O my Jesus who art all of the heart’s desire. So the virgin spok
e lamenting at thy
grave.

4-Who will give me water, for the tears I must weep. So the maid
en wed to God cried with loud lament, that for my sweet Jesus I may rightly mourn.

5-All we call thee blessed, Theotokos most pure and with faithful hearts we honor the burial, suffered three days by thy Son wh
o is our God.

6- How O Life canst thou die? In a grave,
how canst thou dwell? For the proud domain
of death thou destroyest now; and the dead of Hades thou
makest to rise.

7-Now we magnify thee, O Lord Jesus our King, and we venerate
thy passion and burial: for there with hast thou delivered us fro
m Death.

8-Earth, her bounds thou gavest: yet how small is the tomb where,
O Jesus, King of all, thou
dost dwell today, who dost call the dead to leave their
graves and rise.
9-O my dear Christ Jesus, King and Ruler of all, why to them that dwelt in Hades didst thou descend? Was it not to set the race
of mortals free?

10-Lo, the Son, the ruler of creation, is dead, buried in a tomb never used before, he who has emptied all the graves of their
dead.

11-In a grave they laid thee O my Life and my Christ: yet the
lord of death hast thou by death destroyed, and the world of thee
does drink rich
streams of life.

12-Lo, how fair his beauty! Never man was so
fair; but how strangely now has death changed that face we knew, though all nature
all her beauty to
him owes.

13-O my sweet Lord Jesus, my Salvation, my Light: how art thou now by a grave and its darkness hid? How unspeakable the mystery
of thy love. 14-Lo, how strange these wonders, deeds amazing and new: for the Giver of my life is borne lifeless forth by the hands of weeping Joseph to his rest.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

15-O Word of God, we praise thee, the Lord of all the world, with thy Father and thy Holy Spirit, and we glorify thy burial.

Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

16- We bless thee, O most pure Theotokos, and in faith we honor the three-day burial of thy Son, our God.

In a grave they laid thee, O my Life and my Christ: and the armies of the angels were so amazed as they sang the praise of thy submissive love.
Weniger anzeigen
 

Shiranui117

Pronounced Shee-ra-noo-ee
Premium Member
Church Slavonic w/ English subtitles:
[youtube]OoaekFjSxvU[/youtube]

English:
[youtube]o38X2xWv1l0[/youtube]

Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!
 

Shiranui117

Pronounced Shee-ra-noo-ee
Premium Member
In honor of the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee...


Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit...

Open to me the doors of repentance, O Life-giver. For my spirit rises early to pray towards Thy holy temple, bearing the temple of my body all defiled. But in Thy compassion, purify me by the loving kindness of Thy mercy.

Now and ever and unto ages of ages, amen.

Theotokion:
Meet me on the paths of salvation, O Mother of God. For I have profaned my soul with shameful sins, and have wasted my whole life in laziness. But by thy intercessions deliver me from all impurity.

Tone VI —
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy compassions, blot out my transgression. When I think of the multitude of evil things I have done, wretch that I am, I tremble at the fearful day of Judgment. But trusting in the mercy of Thy loving kindness; like David I cry to Thee: Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.
 
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pearl

Well-Known Member
Thanks for this. Quite right they are beautiful. I have collection of chants from the Syrian Liturgy in 1st century Aramaic language, recorded at St Mark's Monastery in Jerusalem. It was an eye opener as to how far we are from our religious roots.
 

Shiranui117

Pronounced Shee-ra-noo-ee
Premium Member
Thanks for this. Quite right they are beautiful. I have collection of chants from the Syrian Liturgy in 1st century Aramaic language, recorded at St Mark's Monastery in Jerusalem. It was an eye opener as to how far we are from our religious roots.
Ooh. Do you have a link/can you upload?
 
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