Journal of the International Society for Orthodox Music

Participation in Psalmody and Church Membership in Cyril of Jerusalem

Harri Huovinen — 2023-08-02

Cyril of Jerusalem’s notion of ecclesiastical music and praise has received very little attention in academic research. When mapping this territory, I found that the Cyrilline gradation between each stage of the ecclesial initiatory process was reflected in the author’s view of the ability of the catechetical audience to participate in psalmody. First, the early-stage catechumens were not mentioned as participants in psalmody or praise. Secondly, the baptismal candidates were exhorted to magnify the Lord. Nevertheless, at the pre-baptismal stage, candidates were mainly regarded as “students” of psalmody. Thirdly, psalmody and praise were discussed chiefly in the context of the congregation of baptized Christians. In Cyril’s view, the Hagiopolite liturgies of baptism and eucharist included a celestial dimension as well. In the liturgies, the fully initiated members of the church—neophytes and authorized cantors alike—were, in effect, granted participation in celestial doxology in the presence of angels. This article fills a significant gap in the research on the mid-to-late fourth century theology of psalmody. It reveals a Patristic view of the relationship between participation in psalmody and church membership, thus emphasizing the markedly ecclesiastical nature of Christian song.

Geography in Psalms: Hagiosophitikon Settings of Psalms 1, 2 and 3

Nina-Maria Wanek — 2023-08-02

The term hagiosophitikon is quite well-known in Byzantine chant, where it occurs in manuscripts from the 14^th century onwards: Most often one encounters the designation hagiosophitikon in rubrics of settings of Psalm 1 (Μακάριος ἀνήρ) and Psalm 3 (Κύριε, τί ἐπληθύνθησαν οἱ θλίβοντές με). Nevertheless, neither the exact meaning of hagiosophitikon has ever been clearly determined, nor have the settings themselves been melodically analysed yet.

Thus, hagiosophitikon is sometimes explained to denote chants associated with services in the church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and in Thessaloniki respectively, and/or to represent hymns rather conservative in outline or to have been composed in a very local style.

The present article will aim at both clarifying the term’s meaning itself as well as presenting a detailed analysis of the compositional style by comparing the hagiosophitikon settings of Psalms 1 and 3 among themselves and with melodies named palaion (old) in manuscripts of the 14^th and 15^th centuries: What kind of compositional style do the hagiosophitikon settings display, do they use formulas and if yes which ones, might their syllabic parts show traces of the old, so-called “simple” psalmody and how are the melismatic parts treated? – These are just some of the questions which will be discussed in the article in order to get closer to resolving the unanswered questions surrounding the term hagiosophitikon.

Existing Hypotheses about the Emergence of Nonsense Syllables in the Chant Tradition of Teretismata and Kratēmata in Byzantine Music

Vassileios Varelas — 2023-08-02

In the present essay, I review and evaluate the three main hypotheses about the historical background and emergence of the nonsense syllables in the chant tradition of teretismata and kratēmata in Byzantine music. The different historical hypotheses as to the historical roots and development of this singing practice are examined and analyzed thoroughly, namely those of Gregorios Stathis (1979, 2014), Diane Touliatos (1989), and Grigorios Anastasiou (2005).

The aim of the analysis is to summarise and discuss the contribution of the up-to-date historical hypotheses to the theoretical approaches of the topic, including the identification of potential flaws, lacunae and inadequacies of their explanatory power.

Touliatos takes antiquity as a starting point for her hypothesis and posits the roots of nonsense syllables in the music of Ancient Greece. After a historical gap of several centuries, those syllables reappear in the Byzantine music during the 14^th c. Stathis and Anastasiou examine the phenomenon exclusively within the boundaries of Byzantine music. Before reviewing the three hypotheses concerning the historical development of nonsense syllables in Byzantine music, we must consider the sources on which the theories are postulated.

Tntesean and the Music of the Armenian Hymnal

Ivan Moody — 2023-08-02

Bessarion and music. Concepts, theoretical sources and styles. Proceedings of the international meeting Venice, 10-11 November 2018

Ivan Moody — 2023-08-02

Editors' Note

Ivan Moody — 2023-08-02

Sacred Music in a Sacred Space: Performance as Communal Event

Pavlos Kordis — 2023-08-02

During the Easter Week of 1999, the composer John Tavener (1944-2013) visited the Holy Trinity Archdiocesan Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New York City, to attend a unique concert, that occured under the auspicies of His Eminence Archbishop Spyridon, featuring Tavener's sacred para- liturgical music, conducted by the late maestro Dino Anagnost (1944-2011). Using this event as a base, regarding its reception and meaning, this paper ventures to compose a theoretical context, in which the performance of sacred works can function in a sacred performance space, while focusing on the composer's understanding of the notion of sacred in composition and in music making in general. Througout the course this research paper, the reader will explore ways in which the systematic application of musicological and theological tools on the complete musical material of the performed works, leads to a provocative analogy of sacred music being performed in a sacred space with a communal event within the church community. Ultimately, this paper suggests that such an occassion is closer to the idea of ecclesial event; an original concept created by the greek philosopher and theologian Christos Yannaras (1936-).

The Localization of Orthodox Spiritual Songs

Jenni-Tuuli Hakkarainen — 2023-08-02

Paper presented at the ISOCM Conference in Joensuu in 2021.