Video - Unique chant in a church in Nafplion

[88Devin12]

I was in Nafplion, Greece in April, and one of the churches there (Panagia) was holding a choir practice. The chant they were doing was unique and beautiful, but I was extremely surprised that it wasn't Byzantine, this was the first time I'd heard non-Byzantine chant in Greece. It was drawing tourists in who came in to listen and enjoy.

Does anyone happen to know what kind of chant this is, or what they are singing?

http://youtu.be/rc8ZTPvXoIE

[stashko]

I was in Nafplion, Greece in April, and one of the churches there (Panagia) was holding a choir practice. The chant they were doing was unique and beautiful, but I was extremely surprised that it wasn't Byzantine, this was the first time I'd heard non-Byzantine chant in Greece. It was drawing tourists in who came in to listen and enjoy.

Does anyone happen to know what kind of chant this is, or what they are singing?

http://youtu.be/rc8ZTPvXoIE

U- tube must be having technical difficulty i can't access it.....Any one else has this problem...

[akimori makoto]

Definitely not what I'm used to. Sounds Slavic.

I couldn't pick out even a single word. My Greek isn't "good", but it's also not abominable.

[biro]

Sorry, I can't make out the name. The chant is lovely, though, and the church looks beautiful as well. 

[Apostolos]

Hi, Christ is Risen.
Due to the occupation of the Septinsular Republic (the seven Greek islands on the Ionian Sea) by the French and Italians for a couple of centuries, the Orthodox Christians there developed a unique Ecclesiastical musical tradition based on tetraphonic chant (known as Cephallonian tetraphony, from the island of Cephallonia). Perhaps what you heard in Nafplion was the rehearsal by a visiting choir from the Ionian islands. The videos below, are taken during the holy week in one of the septinsular islands, Zakynthos. The chanters chant the troparion of Kassiani (the organ is also heard in the background):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI3O9lFe0OI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udBeKRKNJU0
Paschal Liturgy also in Zakynthos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pxo_pxe1Jk

[podkarpatska]

Hi, Christ is Risen.
Due to the occupation of the Septinsular Republic (the seven Greek islands on the Ionian Sea) by the French and Italians for a couple of centuries, the Orthodox Christians there developed a unique Ecclesiastical musical tradition based on tetraphonic chant (known as Cephallonian tetraphony, from the island of Cephallonia). Perhaps what you heard in Nafplion was the rehearsal by a visiting choir from the Ionian islands. The videos below, are taken during the holy week in one of the septinsular islands, Zakynthos. The chanters chant the troparion of Kassiani (the organ is also heard in the background):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI3O9lFe0OI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udBeKRKNJU0
Paschal Liturgy also in Zakynthos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pxo_pxe1Jk

This chant  in the Paschal liturgy clip has some basic similarity in tone, pace and harmony to Rusyn or Galician chant patterns. I wonder if that is my ear or my imagination. Does anyone else familiar with these traditions hear this as well? The Italian or French influence would not have any impact, perhaps some monks relocated from east Europe after the Unia or were stuck there after the fall of Constantinople?

[Apostolos]

This chant  in the Paschal liturgy clip has some basic similarity in tone, pace and harmony to Rusyn or Galician chant patterns. I wonder if that is my ear or my imagination. Does anyone else familiar with these traditions hear this as well? The Italian or French influence would not have any impact, perhaps some monks relocated from east Europe after the Unia or were stuck there after the fall of Constantinople?

I really do not know but, for 7 years (1800-1807) the Septinsular islands were under the Russians (following the Orlov Revolt), the Republic was officially a protectorate of the Russian crown. Now, one of the most prominent composers of Ecclesiastical hymns according to the Septinsular tradition is Themistocles Polycratis (here is a sample; it's the Vesperal "Praise the Lord from the heavens"):

And a video of the 15th Antiphon ("today He is suspended") composed by him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnByeYDJAWc

I'm personally unfamiliar with either the Rusyn or the Galician chanting tradition. Does it sound familiar?

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