Celebrating Global Orthodox Christianity – icons / chant from over 70 cultures!

[_Seraphim_]

[Note: this thread has been pre-approved by Fr Anastasios]



Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

After many years of labor, I have completed a major project that I would love to share with this forum.  For the last several years I have been trying to assemble a “Global” collection of Orthodox iconography and hymnography. 

As of now, by the grace of God, my collection includes Orthodox icons and chant from over 70 cultures/languages around the world!  They are now accessible online at this website:

www.orthodoxmysteries.com


(However, before visiting the site, I would first suggest watching the YouTube promo-video)
OrthodoxMysteries YouTube promo



Thank you to the many individuals on this forum who helped contribute iconography and hymnography to the OrthodoxMysteries website.  Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

My next goal for the site is to have links available that give historical information about Orthodoxy in each particular culture.  I believe this will help the site to be more rounded and full by offering both “artistic” content (icons, chant) as well as “intellectual” content (text-based information).  If anyone can help with this please let me know!


+Glory to God

[Asteriktos]

I looked around for a bit and really enjoyed it thus far, thanks! 

[prodromas]

This is fantastic stuff. Also the chant from Australia, is the church that is around the corner from me, they have a great choir.

[GabrieltheCelt]

This site has a lot of great potential!  It's visually exciting and has a lot of great information.  If I may offer one suggestion?  Under the 'Media' section, I clicked on 'Conversion Story'.  I really enjoyed listening to the priests' story but some of the other youtube videos seemed out of place.  There was one video about a stabbing on a bus that seemingly has no conection to Orthodoxy whatsoever.  Additionally, another video features a fight between Greek and Armenian clergy in Jerusalem.  This will probably only confuse viewers as well.  Keep up the great work!!

Christ is born!  Glorify Him!!

In IC/XC,

Gabriel

[Michał Kalina]

If You were looking for Polish chant (or at least hymns chanted in Polish) I recommend You this site. There You can find some performances of Orthodox liturgical music in Polish. I think that it'd better than the Ukrainian Carrol You put on the site

BTW I'm totally impressed. Many years for You and those who helped You!

[_Seraphim_]

Asteriktos, I am so happy to finally have this site ready to share with others.  Your words are very encouraging.


prodromas, small world.  Let me know if you ever find some other recordings of Australian Orthodox chant.


Gabriel, unfortunately YouTube seems to have a knack for throwing very weird and bizarre videos in the “related” section... but I'm glad you liked the site.


mike, thank you so much for offering your expertise here… the link you gave was perfect.  I’ve already uploaded one of those chants to the Polish page (you might need to click reload/refresh to hear the new audio file).



Thank you all for your feedback and support.

[Michał Kalina]

I understand that it was difficult for American Serb to notice that it's not in Polish. The title was written partly in Polish, partly in Polish transcription of Russian. The Carrol was sung by monks in Polish monastery, but it in Ukrainian. It's a bit complicated

I've got one question about the lack of differentiation between EO and OO Churches. You didn't remark it because it's the same faith (sadly with no intercommunion) or for another purpose?

[Heorhij]

Dear Seraphim, many thanks! What a fantastic site. --G.

[Andrea]

What a neat site! What is the Russian chant used? And the one for English?

[Elisha]

_Seraphim_,

Great concept.

What would improve it a lot though is documentation.  Just from listening to some of the songs, as mike (the Polish guy) mentioned, I don't think the country/culture is accurate to the song in many instances.  For example, the song under "Siberia" sounds like a classic harmonized Znammeny arrangement of the Anaphora - maybe first done by Ledkovsky who is Russian "emigre" to America.  (Incidently, various settings of the Kievan Stichera tones were arranged by Ledkovsky, as similar but slightly different versions from Soloviev, Kallyni and others.)  As to documentation, where is this icon from and where did you get the accompanying music?  What album, which composer, choir, etc.?  This is VERY important information.  I've heard a Serbian Seminary choir sing the standard Greek-style Byzantine Christ is Risen in English....but that doesn't mean that it is "English Chant".

[Alveus Lacuna]

The "English" chant:  What recording does it come from?

[_Seraphim_]

I've got one question about the lack of differentiation between EO and OO Churches. You didn't remark it because it's the same faith (sadly with no intercommunion) or for another purpose?

Yes, I firmly believe we are both truly the same faith… and my hope and prayer is that this website will play some small role in reinstating full communion.

[_Seraphim_]

Dear Seraphim, many thanks! What a fantastic site. --G.

You are most welcome!

[_Seraphim_]

What a neat site! What is the Russian chant used? And the one for English?

The Russian chant is:
Rachmaninov: Liturgy Of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 31 - Bless The Lord, O My Soul
album- Sacred Treasures of Russia



The English chant (from England, not America) is:
Blessed Be the Lord God of Israel
album- Chants from Bois Aubry, sung by Choros

This choir/group provided the chants used for the following cultures:
French, English, Irish, Scottish, and Iberian (Spanish/Portuguese)
They describe their album as “A project for the European Year of Languages 2001.”

[_Seraphim_]

_Seraphim_,

Great concept.

What would improve it a lot though is documentation.  Just from listening to some of the songs, as mike (the Polish guy) mentioned, I don't think the country/culture is accurate to the song in many instances.

First of all, from the moment mike responded with a very helpful link to some Polish chant, it was only a few hours before the Polish section of my site was updated to include the new chant.  This general pattern is exactly what I hoped for by sharing this website with an Orthodox forum which has members from so many cultures and languages: to get constructive feedback AND tangible resources to correct/enhance the site.  (Elisha, if you would like to help gather links for historical information about Orthodoxy in each culture, then that would be wonderful and very appreciated).

For example, the song under "Siberia" sounds like a classic harmonized Znammeny arrangement of the Anaphora - maybe first done by Ledkovsky who is Russian "emigre" to America.  (Incidently, various settings of the Kievan Stichera tones were arranged by Ledkovsky, as similar but slightly different versions from Soloviev, Kallyni and others.) 

The Siberian chant is from a Siberian choir (Novokuznetsk Chorus of Transfiguration cathedral).

As to documentation, where is this icon from and where did you get the accompanying music?  What album, which composer, choir, etc.?  This is VERY important information.

Important, yes.  Most important, no.  Please remember that I’ve already been working on this site for several years.  When you have limited time, you have to pick and choose what is most vitally important and what would be nice to have in the future.  But honestly, I think having historical information about Orthodoxy in each particular culture is much more important and beneficial than knowing the composer/iconographer’s name… especially since there are several icons and a few chants that came to me from either anonymous or foreign-language sources.

Once someone begins to realize the multi-cultural universality of the Church, then they are in a good state to begin to learn about Orthodoxy’s history in each culture.  After that, if possible, then yes it would be nice to know specifics about the particular icons and chants.

[jayjay]

Thanks - LOVED the Siberian chant!!

[_Seraphim_]

Thanks - LOVED the Siberian chant!!

 

[_Seraphim_]

Greetings in the Lord!


I decided to begin a monthly update about the OrthodoxMysteries website (http://www.orthodoxmysteries.com). 
It will include statistics such as:
-how many people are visiting the site
-the countries from which people are accessing the site
-an ordered list of the cultural sections according to their number of views

_________________________________________________________

Country         Visitors

United States      3,184
Sweden         137
Russian Federation   50
Australia         40
South Africa      37
Canada         32
Poland         31
Germany         26
United Kingdom      16
Montenegro      15
Egypt         13
Japan         11
Greece         9
United Arab Emirates      8
Macedonia         7
Spain         5
Denmark         5
Unknown         5
Georgia         5
Finland         4
Malaysia         4
France         3
Romania         3
Ireland         3
Ukraine         3
Argentina         3
Israel         3
Italy         2
New Zealand      2
China         2
Saudi Arabia      2
India         1
Ecuador         1
Netherlands      1
Serbia         1
Philippines         1
Hungary         1
Belgium         1
Ivory Coast      1
Switzerland         1
Bulgaria         1

Total:

41 countries      3680 visitors

_________________________________________________________

Culture-section views (beginning with most-viewed)

Indian
Kenyan
Ethiopian
American
Syrian
Egyptian
Greek
Russian
Irish
Japanese
Eritrean
Lebanese
Georgian
French
Palestinian
Armenian
Brazilian
Arabic
Australian
English
Chinese
Serbian
Finnish
Mexican
Scottish
Polish
Ukrainian
Bulgarian
Romanian
Aleutian
Belarusian
Iberian
Macedonian
Korean
Tlingit
Estonian
Canadian
Yupik
Montenegrin
Assyrian
Zimbabwean
Latvian
Bosnian
Cypriot
Mohican
Sudanese
Apache
Albazene
Siberian
Navajo
Albanian
Afrikaans
Slovenian
Cherokee
Indonesian
Persian
Choctaw
Azerbaijani
Venezuelan
Chilean
Karabakhi
Hawaiian
Moldovan
Cheyenne
Comanche
Hungarian
Lithuanian
Argentine
Faeroese
Swedish
Komi
Slovakian
Moravian
Bohemian
_________________________________________________________


+In Christ

[Byzantine2008]

[Note: this thread has been pre-approved by Fr Anastasios]



Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

After many years of labor, I have completed a major project that I would love to share with this forum.  For the last several years I have been trying to assemble a “Global” collection of Orthodox iconography and hymnography. 

As of now, by the grace of God, my collection includes Orthodox icons and chant from over 70 cultures/languages around the world!  They are now accessible online at this website:

www.orthodoxmysteries.com


(However, before visiting the site, I would first suggest watching the YouTube promo-video)
OrthodoxMysteries YouTube promo



Thank you to the many individuals on this forum who helped contribute iconography and hymnography to the OrthodoxMysteries website.  Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

My next goal for the site is to have links available that give historical information about Orthodoxy in each particular culture.  I believe this will help the site to be more rounded and full by offering both “artistic” content (icons, chant) as well as “intellectual” content (text-based information).  If anyone can help with this please let me know!


+Glory to God

God Bless you and all people that have been involved in this project. May the Light of Christ guide you to continue this great work.

[mersch]

Wow!! Also kept my 2 and half year old grandaughter mesmerized, and THAT is a good thing!! My other grandson who is 4 asked if that was my church, LOL. He thinks all those people were from grandmas church.  He likes their clothes.   

[That person]

Sorry this is a bit late, but I was wondering about the icons. Are they all Orthodox? Many, like the Thai, Maori, and Native American ones, seemed rather untraditional. That being said, I would be interested in purchasing one of the Native North American ones if anybody could direct me to somewhere on the internet where that would be possible, that'd be awesome.

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