Cherubic Hymn - Χερουβικόν - Grave Tone (Byzantine Chant)

[TheDeenSpot]

Part 2

I know that Saint Arethas is celebrated in the Orthodox Church on October 24th. Is there a chant reserved for him? It would be helpful to add a background chant of Saint Arethas for my project, as this will be film-based and it will include my actual expedition to the country of Yemen. I would much appreciate your help. Being that the ancient Christian community of Yemen wasn't Catholic, but rather Monophysite (a sect of Orthodox Eastern Church).

[TheDeenSpot]

I'm doing a project on Saint Arethas. The only reason why I'm doing this incredibly huge project is because we are studying Yemen's ancient Christian history. In particular to note is Saint Arethas, or Al-Harith (his Arabic name), the Bishopric of Najran, who along with 3,000 Yemenite Christians were slaughtered at the hands of the Yemenite Jewish King Dhu Nuwas, who then, had intended to convert the entire region of Yemen (and Najran) to Judaism.

[Gandalf930]

These are no "semi tones"... They are quarter-tones. Like semi-semitones. 25 cents higher or lower from what you'd expect the note to sound like.

[Oathblivion]

Wow, this sounds so strange to my ear. But... I think I like it. It must be such a pain for a Western-trained singer to actually perform this. I mean, most of the notes don't even exist in the system I'm familiar with. o.o;

[vagos2006]

@Oathblivion

God Bless! Yes Byzantine music is hard for Western Trained singers...the use of semi tones makes it very difficult, most of the notes in this chant don't exist on a piano. There would be no way of performing this piece on a piano or instrument for that matter, unless you had a really good violinist that could hit those semi tones for you so that you could actually hear what it sounds like....the Beauty of Byzantine music: Reason why the human voice is used.

[vanight]

@Oathblivion This is one very good argument, if you are serious, to master numes, for the very reason you state. There are things that simply cannot be represented in western notation. On the other hand, in small parishes, sometimes the need to simply have people capable of doing the services out ways the needs of a dogmatic chanter.

[phoffeld]

Where can I buy this?

[phoffeld]

Where can I buy this?

[3Dmidori]

I'm an atheist and this is still an amazing piece of art. Being a singer, I can certainly say that his mastery over his voice is simply astounding ... wonderful music, wonderful voice!

[xplund]

The icon @ 3:20 hangs in my hallway.

[VENIAMIN27]

super misto

[Thanace1]

We dont worship the Icon or the saints depicted in the Icon we Venerate the Icon since the Icon is a window into heaven to the prototype depicted on the icon. As Orthodox Christian we only worship the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

[tnick777]

@Thanace1 Which-- to all you Muslims/Non-Christians out there... Does not make us Polytheists... It is three parts of the same god. The god of the Universe lives in our soul and lived in Jesus.

[zebrasw7]

the coarseness of his voice is very very hard to even try to imitate. it must have taken years of practice or have been given straight by God himself. this is great!!!!!!!!

[ledu1000]

This is so beautiful, it is so deep, so touching!!!

God bless nikoinwinnipeg, even if this person does not understand about Icons, we respect his or her opinion, God bless this person, and let us be, and we let you be.

Meanwhile I want to express that I love these Icones, this beautiful art, and I love Orthodox Chants

[acerb45666555]

vagos2006.....didnt Byzantine art in general have a major Roman influence? thats what im getting at, and not all Pompeii's art is naughty! the paintings at the baths are a bit steamy, but other paintings in houses just show daily life etc.

[nikoinwinnipeg]

Holy Icons, our view into heaven over the course of the last 2000 years many have said that Icons are idols. This conception is false!

Icons are our view into haven and give a representation of the lord and his saints that we may praise them, I cannot stress this any clearer!

Simply when someone says  ohh you are idol worshiping we must respond with great knowledge and few words.

[nikoinwinnipeg]

I do not worship the wood or the paint, the metal or the shapes bent into it, I worship our living God and Lord Jesus Christ and his Saints

Icons are living Iconswhen we turn our back, when we sleep they come to life if we were not all sinners we could this miracle witch the lord has given us in some cases there are Miracle Icons witch weep the Holy mir that comes off of these Icons are collected and given to the faithful.

[xgreciandelightx]

@nikoinwinnipeg Worshipping saints is blasphemous. We honour the saints and recognize that they lived holy lives, and as such, ask that they intercede on our behalf to enhance communication with God himself. We can worship God through the saints, but we cannot worship the saints.

[nikoinwinnipeg]

well said i did not mean it any different, you have taken my statement and made it even more clear!

God bless.

[xgreciandelightx]

I figured that's what you meant, but I just wanted to make it clear to others, as many non-Orthodox get confused about our veneration of saints.

[zebrasw7]

@acerb45666555 let us not over-emphasise aesthetics in regards to the salvation from christ!

[kayaburning]

Great video, God bless all Orthodox Christians!!!

[Michael5320]

سلام من اللبنانيين الأرثوذكس

[acerb45666555]

2- The original Roman style is very strong in these images!

[bignube]

the romans modeled their civilization after the greeks, just as the greeks modeled some of their civilization after the egyptians. i'm greek myself, its just the way the cookie crumbles. Xristos Anesti and Happy Easter :-)

[acerb45666555]

Byzantine art is more alive than the early gothic art! you can tell the Gothic artist's were totally ignorant of the wider world. and they didnt have the best paints either! some of theyre work is a torment to look at! ...thank god the Renaissence fixed that problem!!

[yioukar]

it touches the soul . Perfect

[JIMY45GR]

Let us who mystically portray the Cherubim, and chant the thrice-holy hymn unto the life-creating Trinity, lay aside all earthly care, that we may receive the King of all, escorted invisibly by the angelic orders. Alleluia."

[petrustella]

Salutations.

What hymn are you recomending to sing?

Peace and light.

[Singh778]

beautiful !

[czoueki]

you want to see heaven for a while? just close your eyes and listen to the byzantine church chants. you feel bad and things arent going well around you? still the same solution. as lovely as the byzantine church music seems, its is the most difficult to perform cause there is not a single music instrument to guide you. but i gift it 20 years of my life now and i am ready to give it more. God bless you all

[Reflection888]

Yes. May the Lord continue to bless the Church.

[TheDuster75]

Does anyone know where we can get CD's/mp3's of Mr. George Papanikolaos? I've looked all over the internet, but to no avail. This music is so incredible. So very moving.

[wattersm]

Best option is probably just to make your own CD, you can extract the audio from youtube video files.

[mihalis15]

How do you do that???

[wattersm]

Download the flv file and then use something like ffmpeg, there's plenty of tutorials on how to do it.

[Qcumber]

grave, solemn, and sublime

[Sundialonthejob]

Excellent choice of icons accompany this excellent recording of Byzantine chant to make this video perfect.

[fidokalman]

The inheritors of the Byzantine world must awake to rebuild. Take back that which was. For over 1000 years the Orthodox Byzantine Empire ruled the civilized world. The Fall hastened both times by the treacherous Venetians and Franks cast the world into darkness. May the minarets choking Agia Sophia crumble to the ground. May Constantine come forth from the hidden niche in her walls. Awake Orthodox Christians! awake!

[psoti3186]

May the Lord hear our prayers! I vow to this holy city to give my life for that which was, is and will always be Greek.

For decades the unholy ones have trampled on or holy places! No More!!!!!

May God Bless us!!! All the lands that wronged us shall pay, then all shall shout the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in belief. The City will be ours again!!!!!!

[NicodemusDFox]

I just lost 9 minutes of worktime. What an incredible piece of music. It just took me away somewhere......else!

Peace upon you all over Christmas.

[neurosisfan]

As an Orthodox Christian, I am deeply moved by the spirituality of the singing. As a musician, I am amazed at how authentically Byzantine this is. His singing is utilizing "semi tones", which is so hard for Westerners to really grasp. Some of the notes he is hitting don't exist on a piano. They would be the "notes" in between the keys!

[Callixtinus]

neurosisfan: A piano is a tempered instrument, which means it can play only tones and half tones (12 particles & 6 particles correspondingly). Its sharps and flats also consist of half-tones. In Byzantine music the notes maybe half-tones (6 part.), minim tones (8 part.), minor tones (10 part.) major tones (12 part.) hypermajor tones (14 part.), "thrice minor sharps" (16 part.) or tri-half tones (18 part.) and sharps and flats may be 2, 4 or 6 particles. It's as far from tempered as can be.

[neurosisfan]

You are able to explain in a much more specific way, what I know in essence. You are very knowledgeable about Byzantine music... Add me as a friend!

[acerb45666555]

some of these songs must be from the time of Constantine himself!!

[nikoinwinnipeg]

Even from the time of Saint Nikolaos who was with us 350 years after Christ...and whos Relics can still be seen an venerated in bira Italy, his Holy Body...uncorupted by death

[skaroglou]

poli wmorfi...I am glad to have byzantine blood in me. I want to learn how to chant like that.

[movitmovit]

an incredible challenge it would be. you'd have to dig down to the deepest level of your being, try to pull up what's there and put it into your voice.

[tinekesmith]

'to the deepest level of your being' - i love your insight

[jgurrea]

"This is the Faith of the Apostles, this is the Faith of the Fathers, this is the Faith of the Orthodox, this is the Faith which has established the Universe."

-- from the Synodikon of Orthodoxy chanted on the first Sunday of Lent

[ulan1989]

świetne

[rozakeas]

I just went to heaven....

[Dannyalmeida]

this is beautiful thanx.

God bless

[OARHEGOS]

doxa si o theos doxa si!

[echipafantoma]

translate ... :)

p.s.: i love greek (i'm romanian)

[OARHEGOS]

Ah i am glad to hear that um i said glory be to god glory be.

i have alot of respect for romanians we have alot of romanian priests in america and i know alot of good people who are romanian

[fundaarar2001]

I have the same problem as u lol It's like a mermaid's voice ...it's chant is calling us like the lost lover's whisper we do remember in our dreams....no one can escape it's mesmerising melody ...then again....who would want to ???

[prayingmantis2]

Very beautiful!