Chanting in Soft Chromatic Tones

Chanting in Soft Chromatic Tones Sacred Music nstitute Antiochian Viage Juy 1115, 2018 Charie Marge Sacred Music Coordinator, Diocese of Worcester New Engand Director, Boston Byzantine Choir Head Chanter, St. Mary s Orthodox Church Cambridge, MA marge@aum.mit.edu Course Outine What is a Chromatic Scae? The Soft Chromatic Scae Tone 2 Soft Chromatic syabic exampes Simpe anaysis of Tone 2 syabic patterns Ke/A in the Soft Chromatic scae and its various transcriptions Tone 2 Sticheraric exampes son for Tone 2 Tone 6 Soft Chromatic exampes Tone 4 Soft Chromatic exampes Tone 1 Soft Chromatic exampe

What is a Scae? A scae in Byzantine music is typicay composed of eight notes. The steps between notes can be of varying degrees: semitone, whoe tone, and toneandahaf. Each scae is composed of two tetrachords separated by a whoe tone. A tetrachord is a scae of four notes, with the first and ast note of the tetrachord being in the interva of a fourth. The Western C Major Scae is an exampe of a famiiar scae comprised of two tetrachords separated by a whoe tone: The C Major Scae What is a Chromatic scae? n Byzantine music, the defining characteristic of a Chromatic scae is that the tetrachords are made up of the foowing three intervas: semitone, toneandahaf, semitone (short, wide, short): Chromatic Scae based on C The Chromatic scae can be derived from the Major scae by fatting the 2 nd and 6 th notes. The wide intervas of a toneandahaf give this scae an Eastern or Midde Eastern quaity not found in Western music.

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c w son God is the God is the Lord. Second Mode Lord j and hath ap peared un to Rassem E Massih Apri, 2015 us.. Bessed is He that com eth in the Name of the Lord. (The chanter begins first with "God is the Lord..." and repeats it after each of the verses.) CHANTER: God is the Lord and hath appeared unto us. Bessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Verse 1: O give thanks unto the Lord, and ca upon his hoy name. Verse 2: A nations compassed me about: but in the name of the Lord wi destroy them. Verse 3: This is the Lord's doing; it is marveous in our eyes. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, Rev. 1, 5/5/15, CAH

sat Contemporary Byzantine Chant Tone 2, Wher Resurrectiona Troparion Thou didst sub mit Thysef B. Kazan arranged bye. Marge.4J. _ unto death, 0 Thou, 62 1, kt. deathess and im mor ta one, then Thou didst des troy Jfe with Thy,,, God y pow'r,, = 11..Y.. and when Thou didst raise the dead _ from be i i V neath_the earth, V 7; i,... r. tj t Thee, 0 Christ _Thou, t.... i. 11 1:1. 11 a the pow'rs of hea yen did cry a oud _ unto.t. ::=i i i i i 11 ii 1': i, giv er of Life go ry to Thee., n. '". 1': 1111 c; 11 = U 1998 St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Bnman Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 (617) 5471234

December 11th 17th Sunday of the Forefathers (Ancestors) of Christ Apoytikion Byzantine Chant Tone 2. b j b Un. E Un. G Thou hast jus ti fied by faith thē an cient Fore fa thers, Chadi Karam and through them Thou hast gone be fore and be trothed un to Thy sef the E Un. G b Church of the Gen ties. Let the saints, there fore, take pride in Un. b go ry; for from their seed sprout ed forth a no be fruit, E b and it was she who gave birth to Thee with out seed. G Un. G b j * Un. F G b.. *. Wherefore, by their peadings, O Christ God, save our sous. Fina Ending save our sous. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, Rev. 1, 12/1/17, CAH

Verses on Psam 140 + Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and a protecting door round about my ips. + ncine not my heart to evi words, to make excuses in sins. + With men that work iniquity; and wi not communicate with the choicest of them. + The just man sha correct me in mercy and sha reprove me; but et not the oi of the sinner anoint my head. + For my prayer aso sha sti be against the things with which they are we peased; their judges faing upon the rock have been swaowed up. + They sha hear my words, for they are sweet; as when the thickness of the earth is broken upon the ground, their bones are scattered by the side of he. + But to Thee, O Lord, Lord, are mine eyes; in Thee have put my trust, take not away my sou. + Keep me from the snare which they have aid for me, and the traps of the workers of iniquity. + Let the wicked fa into their own nets, whist aone escape. + cried unto the Lord with my voice, with my voice unto the Lord, did make my suppication. + poured out my suppication before Him; showed before Him my troube. + When my spirit was overwhemed within me, then Thou knewest my path. + n the way wherein waked have they secrety aid a snare for me. + ooked on my right hand, and behed, but there was no man that woud know me. + Refuge faied me; no one cared for my sou. + cried unto Thee, O Lord; said: Thou art my refuge and my portion in the and of the iving. + Attend unto my cry, for am brought very ow. + Deiver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than.

KE (A) in the Soft Chromatic Scae and its various transcriptions When the soft chromatic scae is written in Western notation, we often times see KE written as an Afat, but other times as an Anatura (e.g., compare Kazan to St. Anthony s monastery). Why is this? There are mutipe reasons. 1. n the origina Byzantine microtona soft chromatic scae, KE actuay fas in between an Afat and an Anatura, so there s a choice on how to transcribe it. The diagram beow shows the second tetrachord of the soft chromatic scae transcribed onto the Western 12tone scae. The numbers represent the number of microtones in each interva. There are 12 microtones to every fu step, making 6 microtones to a semitone on the Western scae, and 18 microtones to a tonean ahaf on the Western scae. However, in the origina Byzantine microtona soft chromatic scae, the intervas are sighty different, consisting of 8, 14, and 8 microtones, meaning that the short intervas are a itte wider than a Western semitone and that the wide interva in the midde is more narrow. Note how KE fas in between Afat and Anatura on the Byzantine scae. 2. Even though the Byzantine music theory underpinning the soft chromatic scae is the same everywhere, in practice, KE is sung a itte differenty depending on the geographic region. For exampe, in the Midde East, KE is sung coser to an Afat whie in Greece, it is often sung coser to an Anatura. 3. Some composers write the soft chromatic scae with KE being an Anatura to aow the chanter to interpret KE according to their tradition. n other words, the writing of A natura is not a direction to sing KE on the sharper side. Rather, it s intended to be competey neutra and unbiased as to the pacement of KE between Afat and A natura, incusive. For exampe, someone wanting to sing KE as an Afat woud see the A in the music and aways interpret it as an Afat.

Kontakion Usua Sunday Byzantine Chant Tone 2 G Hoy Transfiguration Monastery (Adapted) O pro tec tion of Christians that can not be put to shame, E j me di a tion un to the Cre a tor most con stant: Un. G O de spise not the sup pi ant voi ces of those who have sinned; # but be thou quick, O good one, to come un to our aid, who in E G faith cry un to thee: Hast en to in ter ces sion, and # speed thou to make sup pi ca tion, thou who dost ev er pro tect, O The o to kos, them that hon or thee. F j G Used with permission. Text music copyright, 2000. Hoy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookine, MA. Offered by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, Rev. 1, 9/10/16, CAH

PSALM 140 18 Byzantine Tone 2 Basi Kazan (1915 2001) Sow w son b «ˆ b j. b ««ˆ bˆ «ˆ O Lord, have cried out un to w b «b. j ««m ˆ ˆˆ «««ˆ b w thee. Hear thou b w. j «ˆ w ŵ«««««ˆ bˆmˆ ˆ «me, O Lord. me. Hear O thou Lord, «bˆ ««ˆ ˆ w. b j have cried out un to ««m««# ˆ bˆ ˆ «bˆ «ˆ «b««w ŵ«b thou me. Give. b j «. «b j ˆ «of my sup pi «bˆ ««««««ˆ ˆ w ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ «ˆ «ˆ b cry out un to «w b ˆ w. «b j ˆ w me, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese 10/16/02 Rev. 0 MK O ear ca thee, thee. to the Hear hear voice tion, Lord. when thou

» ˆ»» ˆ»»» 19 Psam 140 Tone 2 Basi Kazan Sow w b b. J» j j» J # w». b «Let my pray'r be set forth be fore thee. b j «ˆ «b j #. b. j as thē in cense, and the ift ing ««««ˆ bˆ ˆ ˆ «b» ««ˆ» ««ˆ w w my hands as the eve ning sac ri fice.. j b «m«««««fast w ˆ ˆ ˆ bˆmˆ ˆ jw. w w b Hear thou me, O Lord. Set a up watch, b «. b b «. Lord, be fore my mouth, and a pro tect ing «b b «w. b n cine not my heart to e vi door a words b «. w b b cus es in sins......with men «. b b «ty, and wi not com mu ni cate «. w b ««b them. The just Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese 10/16/02 Rev. 0 MK man sha cor that with work the rect bout choic my to in me make iq est ips. in ex ui of of O

. o... j F A j s po Trisagion Hymn 11A Second Section Long Version Unison, SON = G. The b os. a e ti ghi b.. os Dhes po j ta. The Bishop, standing in the hoy doors, facing west, intones: "O Lord, O Lord: Look down from heaven and behod, and visit this vine, and perfect that which thy right hand hath panted." A ghi os s. chi ros. b. The Bishop again intones: "O Lord, O Lord: Look down from heaven and behod, and visit this vine, and perfect that which thy right hand hath panted.". j s po a e ti Dhes po ta.. f >. A ghi... j > b A ghi j os Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese 1/25/15, Rev. 2, MK, CAH 3

11A Trisagion Hymn Second Section Long Version > j > > A ne A b j. tha tha na dim tos. na b.. The Bishop again intones: "O Lord, O Lord: Look down from heaven and behod, and visit this vine, and perfect that which thy right hand hath panted." j s po a e ti Dhes po ta. b. e e i son i mas. Deacon: Dhinamis! 4 b w NOTE: The Aghios on the first page may be sung instead of this more intricate version. 4 5 b? 4 Dhi na mis! w 4 5 A ghi os o The b 4. b.. b...? 4 os.. w. Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese 1/25/15, Rev. 2, MK, CAH 4

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Eighth Ode 626! " # $ # # # # # # # $ # % # $ # # # # # ' # # # $ # Be thou a mazed, o hea ven, and et the foun da tions of the 631! # # # # $ # # # # $ # # # # % # earth quake: for, be hod, He who dwe eth in the high est hath 636! $ # # # # # been ac count # $ # # # ed a mong the # # dead, and hath # # # $ # been 640! # # guest in a # $ # hum be tomb. # # # Where fore, # # # $ # o ye youths, 644! # # # ( ) * $ # # # # $ # $ # # % # # # # $ # bess Him; praise Him, ye priests; and ye na tions, ex at Him more and 649! % # # # $ # # # # + more un to a the a ges. Gory to Thee, our God, Gory to Thee. 653! # # # # # $ # # $ # # # # $ # # # # # # # The pure tem pe hath been des troyed; then, ris ing, He raised with 657! % # # # # $ # # # # # # # Him the fa en Ta ber na ce. For the sec ond

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Text Source: S. Nassar Divine Prayers and Services SON* Ne. (The "A"s may be fatted.) Apri 23rd The GreatMartyr George the Trophybearer Apoytikion Mode 4, Soft Chromatic Thi = G χείρ Jessica SuchyPiais Since thou art a ib er a tor and de iv er er of cap tives, a hep and suc cour of the poor and need y, a hea ing phy si cian of the sick, a con ten der and fight er for kings, O great a mong Mar tyrs, the vic to ry cad George; in ter cede with Christ God for the sa va tion of our sous. *The ison may remain on a ow G throughout, or may foow the meody whenever the meody goes beow G. Text/transation: 1979 by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America Byzantine chant meodies/settings: 2002 by J. SuchyPiais