Trisagion Plagal Fourth

[basil]

I have composed an English setting of the Trisagion Hymn in Plagal Fourth Mode. My rough draft in Byzantine notation is available at:

http://dropbox.basilcrow.com/music/byzantine/Trisagion Plagal Fourth.pdf

The music in Western notation is available at:

http://dropbox.basilcrow.com/music/Trisagion Plagal Fourth.pdf

 

[frephraim]

Nice job, Basil!
Are you also going to compose a "Dynamis"?

 

[basil]

Nice job, Basil!
Are you also going to compose a "Dynamis"?

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, I have also composed a "Dhynamis." It is based on the Asmatikon from the Slow Doxology by Panagiotis Kiltzanides. My rough draft in Byzantine notation is available at:

http://dropbox.basilcrow.com/music/byzantine/Dhynamis Plagal Fourth.pdf

 

[frephraim]

That came out well also. I noticed that its range is not very large. This would make it useful for days when one's voice is tired.

 

[basil]

That came out well also. I noticed that its range is not very large. This would make it useful for days when one's voice is tired.

My inspiration for this setting was from the Slow Doxology by Kiltzanides as well as the Trisagion by Stanitsas (based on said Slow Doxology) and the Trisagion by Hieromonk Gregory of Simonopetra (based on the Trisagion by Stanitsas). The extremely wide range of the versions by Kiltzanides and Stanitsas happen to be impractical for me personally, so I simplified the melody in the same way as Hieromonk Gregory: by cutting out the extremely low sections.

I should note that I am a bit unhappy with the "Holy Immortal" and "Have mercy on us" portions of the Dynamis. I think they could use some more melodic lines and variety. However, I didn't have many options when it came to finding appropriate formulas, other than the formulas that happened to be appropriate in the pieces I mentioned above, and the old (slow) sticheraric formulae from Philanthidis in the catalogue. Hopefully, once the papadic formula of plagal fourth mode are codified, I will be able to use them to enhance the melody for those lines.

 

[GabrielCremeens]

Because I sometimes chant equally in English and Greek (depending on the day), and I like the settings to match as closely as possible, I "composed" a Greek version of this Trisagion by taking the score from the Simonopetra Liturgy Book (upon which Basil's Trisagion was based) transposing it to Ni, and re-writing the theseis more simply/classically to match Basil's score.

The result is attached. I chanted from both today; the flow was seamless.

-Gabriel