Book of the Daytime Hours
Last year, the Inter-Eparchial Liturgical Commission prepared a text and rubrics for the Small Hours (First through Ninth Hours) and Typika. This text is now available as a new booklet from the Metropolitan Cantor Institute (camera ready version here).
The booklet is intended for printing "two-up" on LETTER size (8.5 by 11 inch) paper, rather than the usual legal size paper for MCI books with music. This booklet for the Hours does NOT have musical notation, since:
- almost everything is simply chanted (psalm tone, and ordinary responses); changeable hymns have music in other sources
- what IS sung (the theotokion of each Hour) is sung in any of the eight tones, depending on the tone of the troparion that comes before it. I am preparing a music supplement for these hymns.
If you look at the book, you will notice that the "usual beginning" prayers are given ONCE, followed by the text of each Hour, which starts on its own page. Parishes that want to print only one or two Hours are welcome to do so.
The booklet also incorporates the rules for reader services (i.e. services celebrated in the absence of a priest) which were prepared by the Inter-Eparchial Liturgical Commission and submitted to the Council of Hierarchs.
Updated Akathist Booklet
As part of the MCI Online course Services for the Living, which finished its first run at the end of June, I did a fairly extensive review of our texts and music for molebens and Akathists. In order to bring the MCI Akathist to the Theotokos booklet in line with the official edition in the Ruthenian Chasoslov, I did the following:
- Replaced the "original" first kontakion with the official start of the Akathist ("To you, O Champion Leader", or in our translation, "O Theotokos, valiant defender"). I used the translation and music on pages 228-229, but changed the refrain to "Rejoice, O Bride and Maiden ever-pure!" to match the rest of the refrains.
- Renumbered the kontakia so that the first kontakion (preface) is also kontakion 1, and the final kontakion is kontakion 13. This means that each irmos follows an identically-numbered kontakion.
- Moved the sticheron in Tone 6, which in the Greek books accompanies the veneration of the icon, to AFTER the dismissal (since it doesn't occur in our official text) and added a rubric explaining what it is for.
I also added a 2-page appendix with four-part SATB harmonizations of the Pochaiv akathist melody, and the refrains, and sent it round to this list for reviews. Thank you to those who reported typos and submitted suggestions!
The new booklet has now replaced the previous MCI Akathist booklet, and is available at: http://mci.archpitt.org/sheetmusic/general/Akathist.pdf (camera ready version here)
Because the Pochaiv melody is so straightforward, I am no longing including a full SATB harmonization on the website, but for purposes of practice, the FIRST ikos (harmonized) is here.
Updated Moleben: Jesus, Lover of Mankind
One of the most important of the modern molebens is the Moleben to Jesus, the Lover of Mankind. This service, accompanied by a procession, is a staple at the annual Uniontown Pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Recently, the book for this service was revised, and also incorporated additional work from the Inter-Eparchial Liturgical and Music Commissions. The resulting booklet was made available to me this week, and I am using it to replace the "old" MCI version of this moleben.
The new version can be found here: https://mci.archpitt.org/sheetmusic/general/MolebenJesusLoverOfMankind.pdf (camera-ready version here)
The Dormition Fast and the Paraklesis
From August 1 through August 14, our Church engages in a two-week period of fasting leading up to the Dormition ("falling asleep" or death) of the Mother of God. During this fast, there are a number of aliturgical days (on which the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated), and in the evenings by tradition we celebrate the service to the Theotokos called the Paraklesis or Paraklis.
The MCI has prepared a complete booklet for this service, and a recording is also available, sung by the Schola Cantor of Saint Peter under the direction of J. Michael Thompson:
- Beginning prayers
- The Lord is God
- Psalm 50
- Canon of Supplication, Ode 1
- Canon of Supplication, Ode 3
- Troparia, Tone 2
- Litany of Supplication
- Troparia, Tone 2
- Canon of Supplication, Ode 4
- Canon of Supplication, Ode 5
- Canon of Supplication, Ode 6
- Troparia, Tone 2
- Little Litany
- Kontakion, Tone 6
- Prokeimenon, Tone 4
- Gospel
- Gospel (continued)
- Stichera, Tone 6
- Litany
- Canon of Supplication, Ode 7
- Canon of Supplication, Ode 8
- Canon of Supplication, Ode 9
- It is truly proper
- Stichera, Tone 2, special melody "Jehda ot dreva"
- Trisagon prayers
- Penitential troparia, Tone 6
- Litany of Supplication
- Dismissal
The Paraklesis is an example of a moleben, the principal devotional service of intercession and supplication in the Slavic Byzantine churches. See also Singing a Moleben.
New Mailing List for Cantors
We are migrating the old MCI mailing lists to single list, cantors@groups.io. This new list should be more reliable than the one we have been using, and does NOT require the creation of a Yahoo ID. It also has more options for collaboration, including a wiki and post tagging.
This list will be used for both announcements, and general (moderated) discussion. If you wish to receive email ONLY for announcements, you can set your subscription options to "Special Notices Only."
To subscribe to the list, just go to https://groups.io/g/cantors
New smartphone apps have daily readings, resources, and texts for Vespers and Hours
The Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Parma (Ohio) recently released a smartphone app for Apple iOS and Android that includes:
- daily epistle and Gospel readings according to the Byzantine lectionary used in our church
- a short biography of the daily saint(s) on our calendar, together with their troparion and kontakion
- news, videos, and other resources
Eastern Christian Publications also has a free Byzantine prayer app for Apple and Android devices, with:
- The Daily Office and Daily Vespers with changeable texts
- Theosis ezine and weekly Sunday Bulletin covers
- Other daily spiritual reflections plus Saint-of-the-Day icon
Search for "Eparchy of Parma" and "ECPubs" in the Apple Store or on Google Play. Both are highly recommended.
Online musicianship for cantors
In preparation for our online classes, which begin in February, the Metropolitan Cantor Institute has acquired a site license for Theta Music Trainer, a website with computer- and smartphone-based games that teach pitch matching, recognition and singing of scales and intervals, and other important skills.
Complete access to this website is available to all cantors in the Byzantine Catholic Church, as well as students in the MCI Online program. For more information, see the Theta Music Trainer page.
There is also a new section in the left-hand navigation bar, Musicianship, to which articles will be added over the next two months.
Documenting the history of our church music - how you can help
The Metropolitan Cantor Institute is working with the Byzantine Catholic Seminary Library to put together material to document the history of the liturgical music of the Byzantine Catholic Church, both plain chant and choral music. Please consider contributing to these two efforts:
In early 2018, we will also be distributing images of particular pieces of music or other memorabilia we would like to find or identify.
What is the Metropolitan Cantor Institute?
The Metropolitan Cantor Institute exists to support and foster liturgical singing in the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh. At the direction of our bishops, and in cooperation with our clergy and experienced cantors, the Institute trains and certifies cantors for the service of the church, prepares music and educational materials, and provides workshops and seminars in church singing.
The mission of the Metropolitan Cantor Institute:
To ensure that each parish in the Byzantine Catholic Church has a cantor who can lead the liturgical singing of the parish well, to the glory of God and in support of the prayer of the faithful.
For more information, click on Cantor Institute in the left-hand navigation bar on this page.