Oriental Orthodox Music

[Salpy]

A Syriac Orthodox hymn sung during Lent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmc3iFYdzhQ

[Salpy]

Another Lenten hymn, sung in Malayalam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pHPhrOrQYM

[minasoliman]

I'd like to share with you a hymn from a priest I learned the Church hymns from.  He is probably my favorite priest I'd love to hear to chant.  I like a strong voice and if possible with high tones.  I personally pray the same way, and I personally would get bored when I go to Coptic churches where deacons insist on a very low tone of chanting.  I know perhaps this shouldn't be the case, but since my childhood I was brought in Fr. David Bebawy's way of chanting, and forever am I attracted to it, since my vocal cords can also handle it (I guess since it was trained in it).

Anyway, without further ado, here's one example of Fr. David Bebawy chanting "Praise of the Three Youth" (Praise Him and Exalt Him Above All).  I'm not sure if someone posted it earlier in this thread, but this is one hymn chanted by Fr. David with a high tone that I love very much.  Just imagine praying tasbeha with this man:

http://tasbeha.org/media/index.php?st=Praises%2FMidnight_Praises%2FFr._David_Bebawy%2C_Coptic_Midnight_Praises%2FPart_1%2Ftrack09.417.mp3

And here's the hymn that is sung before the "Praise of the Three Youth:"

http://tasbeha.org/media/index.php?st=Praises%2FMidnight_Praises%2FFr._David_Bebawy%2C_Coptic_Midnight_Praises%2FPart_1%2Ftrack08.416.mp3
(there's a part cut in the middle)

Fr. David is also known for his very articulate way in using the cymbals; this is a simple way (for him), but there are more articulate ways he uses the cymbals such as the Morning Praises in the first Joyful Tone:

http://tasbeha.org/media/index.php?s=Praises%2FMorning_Praises%2FFr._David_Bebawy%2FJoy01.mp3
(he gives instructions before he begins in Arabic)

Lyrics here:
http://www.alhan.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34&Itemid=57

God bless.

[Salpy]

Hymns from the Prime Service (Arevakal) being sung in an Armenian Church in Georgia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F09aXw_gP3g

[Rafa999]

Mina reccomend me the best Coptic music at tasbeha.org lots to choose.

[Salpy]

Very short (too short   ) video of chant during what appears to be a procession of Armenian clergy in the Holy Sepulchre.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aImoaFljQh4

[Salpy]

A Coptic Midnight Praise, sung in English;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3SnPHcBVjE

[minasoliman]

This is an Arabic spiritual music of the song (sung among Coptic circles), "Just Like a Bird" done with the Oud, one of my favorite instruments.  Apparently this is a snippet from an upcoming album, and the professional way that this was done, (much better than the use of electric pianos which we have resorted to using for quite some time) makes me desire this album sooner:

http://coptichymnsinenglish.net/just%20like%20the%20bird.wav

Here the original Arabic version:

http://tasbeha.org/media/index.php?s=Songs%2FArabic%2FKanisaty%2Ftrack_09.mp3

And the English:

http://tasbeha.org/media/index.php?s=Songs%2FEnglish%2FCoptic_Hymns_and_Spiritual_Songs_1%2Ftrack11.mp3

God bless.

[Nazarene]

I may be asking for the impossible but does anyone have link for chanting in Farsi (Persian)? I love this language and I'm sure it sounds beautiful. I know there are OOs in Iran.

[Rafa999]

This is an Arabic spiritual music of the song (sung among Coptic circles), "Just Like a Bird" done with the Oud, one of my favorite instruments.  Apparently this is a snippet from an upcoming album, and the professional way that this was done, (much better than the use of electric pianos which we have resorted to using for quite some time) makes me desire this album sooner:

http://coptichymnsinenglish.net/just%20like%20the%20bird.wav

Here the original Arabic version:

http://tasbeha.org/media/index.php?s=Songs%2FArabic%2FKanisaty%2Ftrack_09.mp3

And the English:

http://tasbeha.org/media/index.php?s=Songs%2FEnglish%2FCoptic_Hymns_and_Spiritual_Songs_1%2Ftrack11.mp3

God bless.

Thankyou. I love the old Egyptian instruments, especially the cymbals. Very beautiful music from the Copt bros.

[Salpy]

I may be asking for the impossible but does anyone have link for chanting in Farsi (Persian)? I love this language and I'm sure it sounds beautiful. I know there are OOs in Iran.

Most, if not all, OO's in Iran are Armenian.  The Armenians chant in Classical Armenian.  I don't know if there are any Orthodox Churches that have chant in Farsi.

[Salpy]

This is a hymn sung during Holy Week in the Armenian Church:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2duSIcsynnM

It sounds very familiar to me, but I can't place it or recall exactly when it's sung.  If someone else listens to this and knows, please tell us.   

[Salpy]

A hymn sung by deacons in the Coptic Church, Esbeteer (One is the Holy Father):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsXLjpbsSt4

This is the English translation of the words, written by the person who put the hymn on youtube:

One is the Holy Father
One is the Holy Son
One is the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Blessed be the Lord God forever Amen.
Praise the Lord all ye nations
Praise Him all ye people
For His mercy is confirmed upon us
And the truth of the Lord endures forever Amen, Alleluia.

[minasoliman]

A hymn sung by deacons in the Coptic Church, Esbeteer (One is the Holy Father):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsXLjpbsSt4

This is the English translation of the words, written by the person who put the hymn on youtube:

One is the Holy Father
One is the Holy Son
One is the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Blessed be the Lord God forever Amen.
Praise the Lord all ye nations
Praise Him all ye people
For His mercy is confirmed upon us
And the truth of the Lord endures forever Amen, Alleluia.

Actually they're singing the Papal version of the hymn.  What you have quoted is just the version said on normal days.  What those deacons hymned was a version said during feast days, and these are the words:

Amen. One is the holy Father, One is the holy Son, One is the holy Spirit. Amen.

To You is dominion in the day of Your power, in the light of the saints, from the womb before the morning star, have I begotten You.

The Lord swore and will not repent, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." (Our holy father, the high priest) [3 times], Pope Abba (Shenouda).

If a metropolitan/bishop is present:
(And our father the (metropolitan/bishop), Abba (...)).

May the God of heaven confirm him (them) on his (their) throne for many years and peaceful times.

And humiliate all his (their) enemies under his (their) feet speedily.

Ask Christ on our behalf to forgive us our sins in peace according to His great mercy.

Blessed be the Lord God forever. Amen.

Praise the Lord all you nations, praise Him all you peoples, for His mercy is confirmed upon us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Amen Alleluia.

And that deacon did not need to say "One is the Holy Father..." again.  He should have just continued from "Blessed be the Lord God...."

[Nazarene]

I may be asking for the impossible but does anyone have link for chanting in Farsi (Persian)? I love this language and I'm sure it sounds beautiful. I know there are OOs in Iran.

Most, if not all, OO's in Iran are Armenian.  The Armenians chant in Classical Armenian.  I don't know if there are any Orthodox Churches that have chant in Farsi.

I believe there are some Syrian Orthodox there too. Oh well guess I was asking for the impossible, pity as Farsi is such a gorgeous language, it would sound amazing chanted.

[minasoliman]

I may be asking for the impossible but does anyone have link for chanting in Farsi (Persian)? I love this language and I'm sure it sounds beautiful. I know there are OOs in Iran.

Most, if not all, OO's in Iran are Armenian.  The Armenians chant in Classical Armenian.  I don't know if there are any Orthodox Churches that have chant in Farsi.

I believe there are some Syrian Orthodox there too. Oh well guess I was asking for the impossible, pity as Farsi is such a gorgeous language, it would sound amazing chanted.

Maybe one day...

[Andrew21091]

A beautiful prayer chanted in Aramaic by a Syrian Archbishop. I really love this recording

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6nTExkJ-Ks

[kazakage]

Indian Orthodox hymn for the Feast of the Transfiguration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jov_NzzhcMQ


Also hymns for Good Friday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWKiOeGx8mY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqXnHskP3EE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AGKXvrzpuI

Nice Salpy. and btw this one : youtube.com/watch?v=uWKiOeGx8mY is sung always..

[Salpy]

Syriac Orthodox prayer, I think from Holy Week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTWcVms3u8g

[Salpy]

Nice Salpy. and btw this one : youtube.com/watch?v=uWKiOeGx8mY is sung always..

Thank you for that.  I love your Church's music.   

I think this is the full link for what you posted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWKiOeGx8mY

Clicking on that will take people to it directly.  Let me know if it is not the right video.

[kazakage]

Nice Salpy. and btw this one : youtube.com/watch?v=uWKiOeGx8mY is sung always..

Thank you for that.  I love your Church's music.   

I think this is the full link for what you posted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWKiOeGx8mY

Clicking on that will take people to it directly.  Let me know if it is not the right video.

okay..u r correct...itz sung during gud friday..i think i gt it confused with one of ur previous posts..)

[Salpy]

Good Friday procession in an Indian Orthodox Church:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNh8EmkWgXk

The hymn is just beautiful.

[Salpy]

Coptic Resurrection hymn, To Lithos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEKX36YVBSU

[SamB]

From amongst the best specimens of Syriac chant to be found on Youtube for the time being:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qpfNRc8zXc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-0JyrI2Bdc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7qtJIFxG14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRhb56R_4aE

Beware the awful video montage, however.

[minasoliman]

From amongst the best specimens of Syriac chant to be found on Youtube for the time being:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qpfNRc8zXc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-0JyrI2Bdc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7qtJIFxG14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRhb56R_4aE

Beware the awful video montage, however.

I haven't listened to the other three, but I just had to comment on the first link.  Oh my God.  When I get back to the states, I might have to visit a Syriac Church bookstore for some Abouna Saliba recordings.  I love it!

[Salpy]

Aramaic hymn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84yb1PQRTUE

I love the woman who is singing it. 

[minasoliman]

browsing around, I found this Aramaic hymn of the Lord's Prayer sung by a famous singer from Lebanon I think (she became famous through an Arabic equivalent of American Idol).  What's interesting as I compare this to the other ways, she sings this at a much higher tone, and adds a Western ring to it with an operatic ending.  Very beautiful:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j9X6qbPAtk&feature=related

Here's another one in a choral and lower tone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkntN2RHdxE&feature=related

[minasoliman]

Abir Nehme singing "Hail Mary" at a Lebanese program (I guessing at this moment with the way she talks about the Syriac language and the liturgy, she seems to be Orthodox Syriac):

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcjpyv_abir-nehme-sings-in-the-syriac-lang_music

[Salpy]

Malankara Orthodox hymns:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=fw-wEkJtivk&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2Fkeralamax%23p%2Fu

[Salpy]

Isabel Bayrakdarian singing "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Hosts":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Y9yzTxCfw

[Salpy]

Some beautiful chant and a liturgical dance at an Eritrean Church in Chicago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oahZc74Xck&feature=related

[SamB]

Abir Nehme singing "Hail Mary" at a Lebanese program (I guessing at this moment with the way she talks about the Syriac language and the liturgy, she seems to be Orthodox Syriac):

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcjpyv_abir-nehme-sings-in-the-syriac-lang_music

The Hail Mary appears to be the Maronite version, and not that of the SOC.

What's interesting as I compare this to the other ways, she sings this at a much higher tone, and adds a Western ring to it with an operatic ending.

I'm sorry, however, Mina, but I personally cannot stomach that awful signature sound that is Majidar-Roumi operatic warbling.  Lebanese Maronites in particular lose all restraint around it, eager to apply it as a facelift to what should rather be left alone.  The modern-day trend of utter cheesiness in contemporary Maronite worship includes subjecting religious material to the overly saccharine soap-opera treatment.  Frankly, I rather prefer to endure listening to one of Um Kulthum's songs being played as a mix. (It is true and I am a surviving witness--coming from one wicked New Year's party--to the fact that dark and demented souls do exist that would violate a specimen as "Inta Umri" in the most torturously sacrilegious way by injecting it with a techno beat.)

[minasoliman]

(It is true and I am a surviving witness--coming from one wicked New Year's party--to the fact that dark and demented souls do exist that would violate a specimen as "Inta Umri" in the most torturously sacrilegious way by injecting it with a techno beat.)

LOL!  I totally agree with you.  My cousin thought he'd please me (since I love Oum Kalthoum) by making me listen to the techno "remix," and I did feel not only it violated her song, but I kinda felt violated by it too.

I will say though that despite her operatic "Ameen" at the end, most of the Lord's Prayer is preserved only with a higher tone of music.  That's pretty much it.  If you ever heard George Wassouf sing "Inta Omry" he sings it a lower tone, since his voice can't reach Oum Kalthoum's high tone.  I'm a very bit advocate of "high toning" some of our Coptic hymns, with a strong voice like how Fr. David Bebawy sings them as I shared earlier.

I assumed that since Abir Nehme sang the "Lord's Prayer" at a Syriac Orthodox Church that she was Orthodox, but I may be wrong.

Here's one sung by a priest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqLZr11JhMM&feature=related

[minasoliman]

Abir Nehme singing "Hail Mary" at a Lebanese program (I guessing at this moment with the way she talks about the Syriac language and the liturgy, she seems to be Orthodox Syriac):

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcjpyv_abir-nehme-sings-in-the-syriac-lang_music

Okay, here's the Syriac Orthodox way to sing "Hail Mary:"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpMM9ZuRkKs

(I'm not sure if EA posted the English version here, but if you go to Erkohet, he has a recording of it in English).

[minasoliman]

Another beautiful Abune D'Bashmayo recording:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_nJg3N3p9I

[Salpy]

I love this mezmur:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWBe7DksGJo

[Alveus Lacuna]

Don't know if this has been posted, but you have to listen to the whole thing. It's "mesmer"izing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNE8URlONIk&feature=related

And another:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HesmTrV4XjI&feature=related

[Feanor]

Don't know if this has been posted, but you have to listen to the whole thing. It's "mesmer"izing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNE8URlONIk&feature=related

And another:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HesmTrV4XjI&feature=related

Wow.... I am speechless. That was profoundly beautiful.

[minasoliman]

From another thread, nice recordings of Syriac daily prayers:

Recordings of the Syriac Orthodox Daily prayers (Shhemo) are here http://www.zmirotho.org/Shhemo/ShhemoIndex.htm (in Syriac)

[Timos]

I'm not sure if this link has already been posted but this is an entire Syriac Liturgy in Aramaic and Arabic:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BCSYRIAC#p/u/9/_wKPWCpsVUU

[Salpy]

I like the congregational singing at this Ethiopian Orthodox parish:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2Ffefe4247%23p%2Fa%2Fu%2F1%2FhtUV6vrhLYs&v=htUV6vrhLYs&feature=player_profilepage

[Salpy]

The Gospel being chanted in the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7elZOMD-0ic

[Salpy]

A beautiful Coptic hymn:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE300iCKvxE

[Alveus Lacuna]

I like the congregational singing at this Ethiopian Orthodox parish:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2Ffefe4247%23p%2Fa%2Fu%2F1%2FhtUV6vrhLYs&v=htUV6vrhLYs&feature=player_profilepage

If you like that, check this one out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6cEO3ynXpI&feature=related

They are so joyful!

[Salpy]

This video is of hymns sung on "Easter night" at a Coptic church.  I wonder if they mean the night before Easter morning, or Easter Eve.  The women are carrying lanterns in the dark, and I wonder if they represent the myrrh bearing women.  Can anyone give an explanation of what is in the video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_Axk0I2_80

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