Contradictions between liturgical books and music

GabrielCremeens

Music Director at St. George, Albuquerque, NM
Good afternoon, everyone,

I'm trying to set a translation to music, and have encountered a little bit of a problem. I am looking at the praises idiomela of St. Thomas the Apostle, commemorated on October 6th. His first idiomelon is repeated twice; here is the text:

Ἦχος β' Ἀνατολίου

Χριστῷ ἠκολούθησας, Θωμᾶ Ἀπόστολε, καὶ τοῦ κόσμου κατεφρόνησας καὶ τὰ τούτου διδάγματα, ἐν τῷ ταμείῳ σου κρύψας, ἀνεδείχθης, Ἀπόστολος· ὅθεν γενόμενος ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, τὰς τούτων ὑπὸ τῆς πλάνης, καὶ τῶν παθῶν σκοτισθείσας ψυχάς, ἐντολαῖς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐφώτισας, πιστεύειν εἰς Τριάδα ὁμοούσιον.

However, upon looking this piece up in Mousiki Kypseli, I found a setting in first mode. In what mode should I compose an adaptation in English? My instinct is to write it in first mode, so as to be able to base it off the version in Kypseli, but the translation in the Menaion of Holy Transfiguration Monastery also has it listed as being in second mode.

Any thoughts as to which one I should follow?

In Christ,
Gabriel
 

greek487

Tasos N.
Good afternoon, everyone,

I'm trying to set a translation to music, and have encountered a little bit of a problem. I am looking at the praises idiomela of St. Thomas the Apostle, commemorated on October 6th. His first idiomelon is repeated twice; here is the text:

Ἦχος β' Ἀνατολίου

Χριστῷ ἠκολούθησας, Θωμᾶ Ἀπόστολε, καὶ τοῦ κόσμου κατεφρόνησας καὶ τὰ τούτου διδάγματα, ἐν τῷ ταμείῳ σου κρύψας, ἀνεδείχθης, Ἀπόστολος· ὅθεν γενόμενος ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, τὰς τούτων ὑπὸ τῆς πλάνης, καὶ τῶν παθῶν σκοτισθείσας ψυχάς, ἐντολαῖς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐφώτισας, πιστεύειν εἰς Τριάδα ὁμοούσιον.

However, upon looking this piece up in Mousiki Kypseli, I found a setting in first mode. In what mode should I compose an adaptation in English? My instinct is to write it in first mode, so as to be able to base it off the version in Kypseli, but the translation in the Menaion of Holy Transfiguration Monastery also has it listed as being in second mode.

Any thoughts as to which one I should follow?

In Christ,
Gabriel

You may also want to check out the translation below from Fr. Ephrem Lash's website http://www.anastasis.org.uk/6october.htm

Some consider his translations to be user-friendly as they sound like naturally spoken English.

Tone 2. By Anatolios.

You followed Christ, Apostle Thomas, and you despised the world, and hiding his teachings in your store, you were revealed as an Apostle; therefore among the nations you enlightened their souls, darkened by the error and the passions, with the commandments of the Saviour, to believe in the consubstantial Trinity.

Twice.
 

GabrielCremeens

Music Director at St. George, Albuquerque, NM
You may also want to check out the translation below from Fr. Ephrem Lash's website http://www.anastasis.org.uk/6october.htm

Some consider his translations to be user-friendly as they sound like naturally spoken English.

Tone 2. By Anatolios.

You followed Christ, Apostle Thomas, and you despised the world, and hiding his teachings in your store, you were revealed as an Apostle; therefore among the nations you enlightened their souls, darkened by the error and the passions, with the commandments of the Saviour, to believe in the consubstantial Trinity.

Twice.

Thank you. While Fr. Ephrem does good work, I rather prefer the older English of Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Furthermore, their translations of the liturgical books, while still not totally done (for instance, we still lack the Triodion and the Paraklitiki), are more complete than the work of Fr. Ephraim. Finally, I'm trying to stick with the precedent already set by Papa Ephraim in Arizona in using the translations from HTM as the "go-to" translation that I set to music.
 
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