I. Arvanitis: Cherouvikon pl4 in English

Laosynaktis

Παλαιό Μέλος
For our English-speaking and singing friends, a Cherouvikon composed by me directly in English (it's not an adaptation). I give it also in the old notation, in which it was originally composed.

(I don't know the conventions you use for writing the words, so adapt them to your habits)

I. Arv.
 

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greek487

Tasos N.
This original composition makes me feel as though Byzantine Music has always been a part of the English language. Thank you.


...
 

frephraim

Παλαιό Μέλος
I was delighted to see that you managed to set this to music in a way that the melody reaches its highest notes on the word "Trinity," as do most Greek cherubic hymns on the corresponding word "Τριάδι." This is much harder to do in English than in Greek because of the sentence structure.

In Greek, there is no punctuation after the word "Τριάδι," which means that composers may choose a melody for this word that does not end on the tonic of the mode. In other words, they may use a melody with an imperfect cadence (ἀτελῆ κατάληξι). But since in most English translations there is a comma immediately following the word "Trinity," composers are supposed to use a perfect cadence (ἐντελῆ κατάληξι) if they want the melodic phrasing to match the textual phrasing (as Chrysanthos mentions in section #414 of his Μέγα Θεωρητικόν). Unfortunately though, the final three syllables in most melodies for perfect cadences (which would be used for the three-syllable word "Trinity") do not use high notes, since they need to get back down to the tonic and end there.

So composers who set the cherubic hymn in English to music are forced to make a choice: Should they use a perfect cadence after the word "Trinity" as they are supposed to (which probably means that the melody for the word "Trinity" will not hit the high notes), or should they use high notes for this word and break the rule stating that perfect cadences must be used where there is punctuation?

I see that you have chosen the latter of these two choices, and I think you have chosen wisely. After all, Chrysanthos does say in section #424 that "...when the melodies of cherubic hymns are very long, it is permitted to use perfect cadences where there is not even a comma." If this is an acceptable exception to the rule he states in section #414, then perhaps another acceptable exception is what you have done, i.e., not using a perfect cadence even when there is punctuation.
 

basil

Παλαιό Μέλος
Needless to say, we are thankful for your contribution, Mr. Arvanitis. The melodic contour of your composition perfectly matches the underlying English text while remaining strictly faithful to the classical melodic formulae of the mode. Like Fr. Ephraim, I was impressed that you managed to use the highest notes of the piece for the word "Trinity" in an English composition. That you have been able to create an original composition in English of this quality in both the Old Notation and the New Method is admirable and inspirational.

I noticed only one minor typographical mistake: On line 9, you have placed the last syllable of "life-giving" before the martyria. Based on other examples of this melodic formula, I believe that this last syllable should be placed beneath the first ison on the same line. I have attached to this post two examples: one from the Cherubic Hymn in Plagal Fourth Mode by Petros and another from the «Νυν Αι Δυνάμεις» in Plagal Second Mode by Petros.
 

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Laosynaktis

Παλαιό Μέλος
Needless to say, we are thankful for your contribution, Mr. Arvanitis. The melodic contour of your composition perfectly matches the underlying English text while remaining strictly faithful to the classical melodic formulae of the mode. Like Fr. Ephraim, I was impressed that you managed to use the highest notes of the piece for the word "Trinity" in an English composition. That you have been able to create an original composition in English of this quality in both the Old Notation and the New Method is admirable and inspirational.
Thank you!

I noticed only one minor typographical mistake: On line 9, you have placed the last syllable of "life-giving" before the martyria. Based on other examples of this melodic formula, I believe that this last syllable should be placed beneath the first ison on the same line. I have attached to this post two examples: one from the Cherubic Hymn in Plagal Fourth Mode by Petros and another from the «Νυν Αι Δυνάμεις» in Plagal Second Mode by Petros.
You are, of course, right. Thank you! It's a lapsus calami.
 

Πυργάκης

Νέο μέλος
As I do not live in an english speaking country, I would like to ask what the official text of a cherouvikon is. While searching the site of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America sometime ago, I encountered the text below:
"We who mystically represent the Cherubim sing the thrice holy hymn to the life giving Trinity. Let us set aside all the cares of life that we may receive the King of all invisibly escorted by the angelic hosts. Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia."
This text is not identical to the one used by Mr. Arvanitis.
Are there more than one versions of the hymn in question?
 

frephraim

Παλαιό Μέλος
Πυργάκης;88651 said:
...Are there more than one versions of the hymn in question?
Yes, there are many different versions of the text for the cherubic hymn in English.

Πυργάκης;88651 said:
...I encountered the text below:
"We who mystically represent...
Beginning the cherubic hymn in English with the words "We who..." has the advantage of beginning with a long "e" sound, which is how the cherubic hymn begins in Greek and Slavonic. Unfortunately, however, there is a grammatical problem in English with this construction. If you would like to know why, you can take a sneak preview at the attached article I am working on, which also address several other translational issues regarding the cherubic hymn.
 

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Πυργάκης

Νέο μέλος
Father Ephraim, I wish to thank you for your prompt reply and congratulate you for your constant and fruitful efforts to promote byzantine music in english. I will most certainly read your draft regarding the translation of the cherubic hymn with great interest.
Furthermore, I found the page: http://stanthonysmonastery.org/music/Cherubic.htm#Cherubic
in which there is another text, the one you had used for your transcriptions, which I chose in the end in order to compose another brief cherubic hymn (in plagal of the fourth), inspired by Mr. Arvanitis' composition. The text in question begins with the word "Let..." as you already know...

I wish you, Father, all the best.
 
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herron.samuel

Ieropsaltis
I chanted from this composition today and I just wanted to say it was a perfect length for a weekday Liturgy.

Once again, thank you for sharing this and God bless, Mr. Arvanitis.
 
Once again you did a brilliant work Mr. Arvanitis!
Surely English-speaking chanters are more than grateful...

Thank you also Fr. Ephraim for your excellent article!
Translating is truly a difficult task. One has to take many things into account, and be extra careful in order not to hurt the meaning of the original text (not deliberately of course).
This is obvious in the case of translating greek liturgical texts to modern Greek, as some have unsuccessfully tried to do the last few years.
 
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gdalagelis

Νέο μέλος
For our English-speaking and singing friends, a Cherouvikon composed by me directly in English (it's not an adaptation). I give it also in the old notation, in which it was originally composed.

(I don't know the conventions you use for writing the words, so adapt them to your habits)

I. Arv.
Does anyone have a recording of this yet? It would be much appreciated!
 
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