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Easter Liturgy in 1673 - Old Slavonic Polyphony

by Chronos Ensemble

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1.
Priest: Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Choir: Amen. Priest: In peace let us pray to the Lord. Choir: Lord, have mercy. Priest: For the peace from above, and the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord. Choir: Lord, have mercy. Priest: For the peace of the whole world, the good estate of the holy churches of God, and the union of all, let us pray to the Lord. For this holy temple, and for them that with faith, reverence, and the fear of God enter herein, let us pray to the Lord For our Patriarch Pitirim, for the venerable priesthood, the deaconate in Christ, for all the clergy and people, let us pray to the Lord. For our most devout, most peaceful, most Autocratic and God-protected Sovereign Tzar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich, for our most devout Sovereign Lady Tzarina and Grand Duchess Nathalia, for our most noble Sovereign Prince and Grand Duke Theodor Alexeevich, and for our most noble Sovereign Prince and Grand Duke Ivan Alexeevich, and for our most noble Sovereign Prince and Grand Duke Peter Alexeevich, for noble Princesses, for all in the palace and in the armed forces let us pray to the Lord. Also we pray for the noble princesses: for noble Princess and Grand Duchess Eudokia, Martha, Sophia, Ekatherina, Maria and Theodosia. Also we pray for all their Christ-loving army. That he will aid them and subdue under their feet every foe and adversary For this city for every city and country, and the faithful that dwell therein, let us pray to the Lord. For seasonable weather, abundance of the fruits of the earth, and peaceful times, let us pray to the Lord. For travelers by sea, land and air; for the sick, the suffering, the imprisoned, and for their salvation, let us pray to the Lord. That we may be delivered from all tribulation, wrath, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord. Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace. Calling to remembrance our most holy, most pure, most blessed, glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and all our life unto Christ our God. Choir: To Thee O Lord Priest: For unto Thee is due all glory, honor and worship; to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Choir: Amen.
2.
First Antiphon Verse: Shout with joy to the Lord all the earth, sing to the honour of his name. Give glory to his praise. Refrain: At the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us. Verse: Say to God, ‘How fearful are your works! Because of your great might your enemies shall cower before you.’ (Refrain… ) Verse: All the earth shall worship you, and sing to you, and sing to your name, O Most High. (Refrain… ) Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. At the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour, save us. The small litany Priest: Again and again, in peace let us pray to the Lord. Choir: Lord, have mercy. Priest: Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace. Choir: Lord, have mercy. Priest: Calling to remembrance our most holy, most pure, most blessed, glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commit ourselves and one another and all our life unto Christ our God. Choir: To Thee, O Lord. Priest: For Thine is the dominion, and Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Choir: Amen. Verse: Let God be gracious to us and bless us, and make his face to upon us and have mercy on us. Refrain: Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to you: Alleluia. Verse: That your ways may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. (Refrain…) Verse: Let all the peoples praise you, O God, let all the peoples praise you. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Son of God, risen from the dead, save us who sing to you: Alleluia.
3.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Both now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Only-Begotten Son and Word of God, Thou Who art immortal, and didst deign for our salvation to become incarnate of the holy Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary, without change becoming man, and Who wast crucified, O Christ God, trampling down death by death: Thou Who art one of the Holy Trinity, glorified together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us. Small litany: Priest: Again and again… Help us, save us… Choir: Lord, have mercy. Calling to remembrance… Choir: To Thee… Priest: For a good God art Thou, and the Lover of mankind, and unto Thee do we send up glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Choir: Amen.
4.
Verse: Let God arise, and his enemies be scattered: and let those that hate him flee before his face. Refrain: Christ has risen from the dead, by death he has trampled on death, and to those in the graves given life. Verse: As smoke is dispersed, so let them be dispersed: as wax melts before the fire. Refrain: Christ has risen… Verse: So shall the wicked perish at the presence of God: and let the righteous be glad. Refrain: Christ has risen… Verse: This is the day which the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Entrance) Priest: Wisdom! Aright! Bless God in the Churches; the Lord from the fountains of Israel. Choir: Christ has risen from the dead…
5.
Strochnoy chant: As many of you as have been baptised into Christ, have put on Christ. Alleluia. Glory… Both now… Demestvenny chant: As many of you…
6.
Priest: Let us attend. Reader: The Psalm of David Priest: Wisdom! Reader: Prokeimenon of the Epistle. This is the day which the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it. Verse: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endures for ever. Choir: This is the day… Reader: Alleluia. The Psalm of David Verse: You will arise, Lord, and take pity on Sion. Verse: The Lord has looked from heaven upon the earth Choir: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
7.
Choir: Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory to Thee. Priest: Let us all say with our whole soul and with our whole mind, let us say. O Lord Almighty, the God of our fathers, we pray Thee, hearken and have mercy. Choir: Lord, have mercy (twice) Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great mercy, we pray Thee, hearken and have mercy. Choir: Lord, have mercy (trice) Priest: Also we pray for our most devout, most peaceful, most Autocratic and God-protected Sovereign Tzar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovitch , for his dominion, victory, well-being, peace, health and salvation. That our Lord God shall quickly and particularly help him in all his deeds and shall subdue beneath his feet every enemy and adversary. Again we pray for our Patriarch Pitirim, and all our brethren in Christ. Again we pray for our brethren, the priests, priestmonks, and all our brethren in Christ. Also we pray for the blessed and ever-memorable holy Orthodox Patriarchs, for all devout Tzars and pious Tzarinas, for the founders of this holy house and for all our Orthodox fathers and brothers who have gone to their rest before us, and who here, and in all the world lie asleep. Again we pray for them that bring offerings and do good works in this holy and all-venerable temple; for them that minister and them that chant, and for all the people here present, that await of Thee great and abundant mercy.
8.
Priest: That always being guarded under Thy dominion, we may send up glory unto Thee: to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Choir: Amen. Let us who mystically represent the Cherubim, and chant the thrice-holy hymn unto the Life-creating Trinity, now lay aside all earthly care. That we may receive the King of all, Who cometh invisibly upborne in triumph by the ranks of angels. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
9.
Priest: Let us complete our prayer unto the Lord. Choir: Lord, have mercy. Priest: For the precious gifts set forth, let us pray to the Lord. Choir… For this holy temple, and for them that with faith, reverence, and the fear of God enter herein, let us pray to the Lord. That we may be delivered from all tribulation, wrath, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord. Help us, save us, have mercy on us, and keep us, O God, by Thy grace. That the whole day may be perfect, holy, peaceful and sinless, let us ask of the Lord. Choir: Grant this, O Lord. An angel of peace, a faithful guide, a guardian of our souls and bodies, let us ask of the Lord. Pardon and remission of our sins and offences, let us ask of the Lord. Things good and profitable for our souls, and peace for the world, let us ask of the Lord. That we may complete the remaining time of our life in peace and repentance, let us ask of the Lord. A Christian ending to our life, painless, blameless, peaceful, and a good defense before the dread judgment seat of Christ, let us ask. Calling to remembrance our most holy… Choir: To Thee, O Lord. Priest: Through the compassions of Thine Only-begotten Son, with Whom Thou art blessed, together with Thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Choir: Amen. Priest: Peace be unto all. Choir: And to thy spirit. Priest: Let us love one another, that with one mind we may confess: Choir: The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: the Trinity, one in essence and indivisible.
10.
Priest: Let us stand well, let us stand with fear, let us attend, that we may offer the holy oblation in peace. Choir: A mercy of peace, a sacrifice of praise. Priest: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Choir: And with thy spirit. Priest: Let us lift up our hearts. Choir: We lift them up unto the Lord. Priest: Let us give thanks unto the Lord. Choir: It is meet and right to worship the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: the Trinity, one in essence and indivisible. Priest praying secretly: It is meet and right that we should laud thee, bless thee, praise thee, give thanks unto thee, and adore thee in all places of thy dominion: for thou art God ineffable, incomprehensible, invisible, inconceivable; thou art from everlasting and art changeless, thou, and thine Only-begotten Son, and thy Holy Spirit Thou from nothingness hast called us into being; and when we had fallen away from thee, thou didst raise us up again ; and thou hast not ceased to do all things until thou hadst brought us back to heaven, and hadst endowed us with thy kingdom which is to come. For all which things we give thanks unto thee, and thine Only-begotten Son, and thy Holy Spirit; for all the things whereof we know, and whereof we know not; for all thy benefits bestowed upon us, both manifest and unseen. And we render thanks unto thee for this ministry which thou dost deign to accept at our hands, although before thee stand thousands of Archangels and myriads of Angels, with the Cherubim, and Seraphim, six-winged, many-eyed, who soar aloft, borne on their pinions. Priest: Singing the triumphal hymn, shouting, crying aloud and saying: Choir: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Sabaoth; heaven and earth are full of Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest! Priest praying secretly: And we also, O Lord who lovest man-kind, in company with these blessed Powers do cry aloud and say: Holy art thou, and all-holy thou, and thine Only-begotten Son, and thy Holy Spirit; holy and all-holy and majestic is thy glory. Who hast so loved thy world that thou gavest thine Only- begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but should have ever-lasting life; who, when he had come and had performed all the dispensation for us, in the night in which he was given up, - in the which, rather, he did give himself for the life of the world, - took bread in his holy and pure and sinless hands; and when he had given thanks, and blessed it, and so sanctified it, he gave it to his holy disciples and apostles, saying : Priest: Take, eat: this is My Body, which is broken for you for the remission of sins. Choir: Amen. Priest secretly: And in like manner, after supper he took the cup, saying: Priest: Drink of it, all of you: this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins. Choir: Amen. Priest secretly: Bearing in remembrance, therefore, this commandment of salva-tion, and all those things which came to pass for us ; the Cross, the Grave, the Resurrection on the third day, the Ascension into Heaven, the Sitting on the right hand, the Second and glorious Coming-again: Priest: Offering unto Thee Thine own of Thine own, in behalf of all and for all. Choir: We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we give thanks unto Thee, O Lord; and we pray unto Thee, O our God. Priest praying secretly: Again we offer unto thee this reasonable and unbloody service. And we beseech and implore thee, and offer our supplications unto thee, that thou wilt send thy Holy Spirit upon us, and upon these Gifts here spread forth. O Lord, who at the Third Hour didst send down upon thine Apostles thy Holy Spirit: Take not the same from us, O Good One, but renew it in us who make our supplications unto thee. Bless, Master, the Holy Bread, And make this bread the precious Body of thy Christ, Amen. And make that which is in this chalice the precious Blood of thy Christ , Amen. Transmuting them by thy Holy Spirit, Amen, Amen, Amen. That to those who shall partake thereof they may be unto soberness of soul, unto the remission of sins, unto the fellowship of thy Holy Spirit, unto the fulfilling of the kingdom of Heaven, and unto boldness toward thee; and not unto judgment or unto condemnation. And again we offer unto thee this our reasonable service, for all thy servants departed this life before us in the faith; for our ancestors, fathers, the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Preachers, Evangelists, Martyrs, Confessors, Ascetics; and for every righteous soul who hath died in the faith:
11.
Priest: Especially for our most holy, most pure, most blessed, glorious Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary. Choir: The Angel cried to her that is full of grace, ‘Pure Virgin, rejoice!, And again I say, Rejoice! For your Son has risen from the tomb on the third day’. Shine, shine, O New Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you; dance now and be glad, O Sion, and you too rejoice, pure Mother of God, at the arising of him to whom you gave birth.
12.
Priest or Bishop: And vouchsafe us, O Master, with boldness and without condemnation to dare to call upon Thee the heavenly God as Father, and to say: Choir: Our Father, who art in the Heavens, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Priest or Bishop: For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Choir: Amen.
13.
Priest : Peace be unto all. Choir: And to thy spirit. Priest: Let us bow our heads unto the Lord. Choir: To Thee, O Lord. Priest: Through the grace and compassions and love for mankind of Thine Only-begotten Son, with Whom Thou art blessed, together with Thy most holy, and good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Choir: Amen. Priest: Let us attend! Holy Things are for the holy. Choir: One is Holy, One is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
14.
Receive the Body of Christ; taste from the immortal fount. Glossolalia
15.
Polychronion 03:07
O Lord, Grant many years and have mercy on the most devout Tzar and Grand Duke Alexei and his pious Tzarina and Grand Duchess Nathalia, on their noble sons and pious Princesses, save our Patriarch Pitirim and all Orthodox christians. Lord, preserve them for many years.

about

The first mention of the Demestvenny Chant is in 15th Century. The XVIth century sources already qualify it in comparison to the znamenny and the strochny chants as "the most beautiful", angelic chant. By the XVIIth century the chant book “Demestvennik” was compiled. The music is in four parts, each having its own name: the Demestvo; the Put' (meaning, more or less, the main line), the Upper, and the Lower Parts. This collection has settings for the unchanging parts of Liturgy and Vigil Services, as well as some important hymns of major feasts. The Strochnoy (Line-based), as well as the Demestvenny types of Polyphony constitute two major kinds of music in Russia's High Middle Ages, requiring especially high skills of its performers.In order to record this music, a special system of neums was developed as early as during Ivan the Terrible's reign. This system is called the Kazan notation.The Old-Russian liturgical polyphony, as well as the folk music, did not follow the Western system of consonance and dissonance that gave birth to European harmony and tonality. The Russian polyphony was based on the diatonic modal system of the Znamenny chant. This system gave no preference to «consonances» over «dissonances», considering both equally pure and natural. The thirds are not characteristic of this chant, the fourths and seconds occurring much more naturally in the tetrachord-based system.This may partially explain why this typically early-Russian type of polyphony is so valued in the aesthetic system of contemporary classical music. By the end of XVIIth century, Russian musical culture has experienced a strong influence of the early Italian Baroque music of Monteverdi, Schutz and their contemporaries, that arrived through Poland and Ukraine. By the beginning of 18th c., as Russia turned towards the West culturally, the Demestenny and the Strochnoy chant fell out of use and has not been sung until nowadays.

Like the Znamennyj monophony and the three-part strochnoy chant, the Demestvenny polyphony has shaped the musical sensibilities of Early Russia. It represents a whole philosophy of the religious experience where the ideal, sacral form unfolds in time in the form of sounds. This was considered the sound image of the Sacred, resulting from, and an incarnation of, a living religious experience. The Demestvenny neum manuscripts introduce us to these musical icons, portraying the experience of the Sacred - the musical icons of God as our ancestors perceived them during the height apex of Russian Church Tradition. Thanks to Evgeny Skurat who took the pains of deciphering the Demestvenny Liturgy created during the reign of Alexey Mikhaylovich (1645-1676) and to the Chronos ensemble, this music is performed in the authentic vocal manner after three centuries of oblivion.

What we find particularly striking today is how melismatic the chant is: every syllable of the text seems to dissolve in the melismata, to the point of ecstatic glossolalia. In the archaic mentality, Liturgy immitates God, likening the worshippers to Him, by making them transcend the earthly realm. The glossolalia is the gift of the Holy Spirit that the Apostles received on the day of Pentecost, i.e. the ability to speak the divine and mystical tongue of the angels. These melismatic pseudo-words, or words in a non-human language, have entered the liturgical musical language of many Church traditions.The repetition of meaningless syllables is called the Kratimata in Byzantine singing - (like "lullaby" in the West). In the Demestvenny chant these may sound like «habuva» or «anenayka.» Music and words can be hardly comprehensible, what matters, is that they reflects the uncreated, i.e., the Divine itself. The reason why cult has adopted such strange forms is that they are the most active and theurgic, and induce a state of meditation. In this context, the Demestvenny chant allows us to approach and partake of the Great mystery of the Church – the eternal sound of the Divine Harmony.

credits

released April 16, 2017

Evgeny Skurat, Alexander Manotskov, Taras Yasenkov, Alexander Schekoldin, Priest Dmitry Ershov.
Sound design - Philipp Barsky
Design - Ivan Krasnobaev

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Evgeny Skurat - Chronos ensemble Katowice, Poland

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