Antiochian Liturgy in English... Resources?

[stavros_388]

I have been attending an Antiochian parish lately, where all of the services are in English. Having attended mostly Greek and Russian parishes in the past, I am unfamiliar with some of the Antiochian melodies. I am wondering if there are any resources for learning the Antiochian liturgical melodies. English would be most helpful, but not necessary. I have been here: http://www.antiochian.org/music/library . I would especially love an English CD of the Antiochian style Divine Liturgy so that I can practice singing along and familiarize myself. Can anyone direct me to any decent resources or recordings?

Thanks in advance.

[arimethea]

I have been attending an Antiochian parish lately, where all of the services are in English. Having attended mostly Greek and Russian parishes in the past, I am unfamiliar with some of the Antiochian melodies. I am wondering if there are any resources for learning the Antiochian liturgical melodies. English would be most helpful, but not necessary. I have been here: http://www.antiochian.org/music/library . I would especially love an English CD of the Antiochian style Divine Liturgy so that I can practice singing along and familiarize myself. Can anyone direct me to any decent resources or recordings?

Thanks in advance.

I am not sure what you mean by Antiochian melodies. If you attended a Greek church and the Antiochian parish uses Byzantine Chant then the two are very similar. If the Antiochian parish has a choir that uses 4 part harmonies then they are using Russian music.

What I am guessing is happening is you are going to a parish that has poor musical training and they are butchering the music to something unrecognizable.

[stavros_388]

I have been attending an Antiochian parish lately, where all of the services are in English. Having attended mostly Greek and Russian parishes in the past, I am unfamiliar with some of the Antiochian melodies. I am wondering if there are any resources for learning the Antiochian liturgical melodies. English would be most helpful, but not necessary. I have been here: http://www.antiochian.org/music/library . I would especially love an English CD of the Antiochian style Divine Liturgy so that I can practice singing along and familiarize myself. Can anyone direct me to any decent resources or recordings?

Thanks in advance.

I am not sure what you mean by Antiochian melodies. If you attended a Greek church and the Antiochian parish uses Byzantine Chant then the two are very similar. If the Antiochian parish has a choir that uses 4 part harmonies then they are using Russian music.

What I am guessing is happening is you are going to a parish that has poor musical training and they are butchering the music to something unrecognizable.

Well... there is only one full-time female chanter, and she is not butchering anything. She is excellent. The parishioners all sing along, and the melody sometimes kind of gets... lost. However, I recognize many of the melodies as being Byzantine-ish, but some have strange middle-eastern sounding parts. And some of the melodies don't sound Russian or Byzantine, frankly. At least, not to my ears.

[arimethea]

Well... there is only one full-time female chanter, and she is not butchering anything. She is excellent. The parishioners all sing along, and the melody sometimes kind of gets... lost. However, I recognize many of the melodies as being Byzantine-ish, but some have strange middle-eastern sounding parts. And some of the melodies don't sound Russian or Byzantine, frankly. At least, not to my ears.

First off, I have never heard an excellent female chanter; The best a female can ever be in chanting is passable. You will not find recordings because people who make recordings do it of proper melodies. If you want to hear what "Antiochian" music should sound like then look up the Choir of Mt. Lebanon http://www.semlebanon.org/sem/home.do or http://www.liturgica.com/cart/musicInfo.jsp?catNo=AB068

What happens in many parishes is they try to do the best they can do. 

[stavros_388]

What happens in many parishes is they try to do the best they can do. 

Thanks for the links. Yes, indeed the parish is doing its best! I want to help as much as I can, and that is why I am trying to wrap my head around the melodies/scales being used there.

First off, I have never heard an excellent female chanter; The best a female can ever be in chanting is passable.

Well, let's just say she has a beautiful voice and a great ear.

[Fotina02]

Try these.

Glory to Thee A Chanter's Workshop http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/glorytothee

Feast of the Dormition Services http://ancientfaith.com/specials/feast_of_the_dormition_services

hymns for Vespers, Matins and Liturgy http://stmarywichita.org/chanters.html

Troparia of the Resurrection (printed music and words corresponds to stmary tunes) at library you posted is good start.

[stavros_388]

Trying them right now. Thanks, Fotina02!

[Carl Kraeff (Second Chance)]

The Antiochian Archdiocese has had a project to put Byzantine melodies into modern notation and apply them to many of the hymns that a choir may sing. A treasury of such material is available at http://www.antiochian.org/music/library

BTW, although my exposure to female chanters has been very limited, I have found them to be uniformly good. On the other hand, about half of the male chanters that I have listened to have been just awful.

[Maximum Bob]

Just this last weekend I purchased and downloaded "Sing Praises - Orthodox Christinan Hymns sung by Teen Soyo" from Amazon. I love it, it reminds me of my home church. Perhaps that will help. By the way "Teen Soyo" from what I can gather so far is sort of an Antiochian youth group, I think.

[scamandrius]

Try these.

Glory to Thee A Chanter's Workshop http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/glorytothee

Feast of the Dormition Services http://ancientfaith.com/specials/feast_of_the_dormition_services

hymns for Vespers, Matins and Liturgy http://stmarywichita.org/chanters.html

Troparia of the Resurrection (printed music and words corresponds to stmary tunes) at library you posted is good start.

Hey, thanks for the plug. I was one of the chanters on the Dormition recording.

[Tags:]

OrthodoxChristianity.net > Moderated Forums > Liturgy (Moderator: arimethea) > Topic: Antiochian Liturgy in English... Resources?