Byzantine chant - Θεαρχίω νεύματι

Medieval Byzantine Chant.
Title: "Θεαρχίω νεύματι" (With a sign by the authority of God)
Service: Feast of the Dormition of Virgin Mary
Performers: Greek Byzantine Choir
Album: "Hymns to the Most Holy Theotokos"
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A very interesting note about this specific chant is that while it is one text and chanted as a whole, it contains all 8 tones of Byzantine Music. Each phrase is chanted in one of those 8 tones. The first two phrases are the glorification of the Trinity (hence the type of the chant as a Doxastikon - ie a glorification hymn). Then, the chant goes:
0:52 - 1st Tone
1:42 - Plagal 1st Tone
2:21 - 2nd Tone
3:12 - Plagal 2nd Tone
5:04 - 3rd Tone
5:59 - Plagal 3rd (Grave) Tone
7:12 - 4th Tone
7:40 - Plagal 4th Tone
9:38 - 1st Tone
An easy way to understand when the Tone changes is to note the changes from solo chant to choir. When such a change occurs the Tone changes, except after 7:40.
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Greek:

Θεαρχίω νεύματι, πάντοθεν οι θεοφόροι Απόστολοι, υπό νεφών μεταρσίως αιρόμενοι, καταλαβόντες τό πανάχραντον, καί ζωαρχικόν σου σκήνος, εξόχως ησπάζοντο.
Αι δέ υπέρτατοι τών ουρανών Δυνάμεις, σύν τώ οικείω Δεσπότή παραγενόμεναι, τό θεοδόχον καί ακραιφνέστατον σώμα προπέμπουσι, τώ δέει κρατούμεναι, υπερκοσμίως δέ προώχοντο, καί αοράτως εβόων, ταίς ανωτέραις ταξιαρχίαις, ιδού η παντάνασσα θεόπαις παραγέγονεν.
Άρατε πύλας, καί ταύτην υπερκοσμίως υποδέξασθε, τήν τού αενάου φωτός Μητέρα. Διά ταύτης γάρ η παγγενής τών βροτών σωτηρία γέγονεν, ή ατενίζειν ουκ ισχύομεν, καί ταύτη άξιον γέρας απονέμειν αδύνατον.Ταύτης γάρ τό υπερβάλλον, υπερέχει πάσαν έννοιαν. Διό άχραντε Θεοτόκε, αεί σύν ζωηφόρω Βασιλεί, καί τόκω ζώσα, πρέσβευε διηνεκώς, περιφρουρήσαι καί σώσαι, από πάσης προσβολής εναντίας τήν νεολαίαν σου. Tήν γάρ σήν προστασίαν κεκτήμεθα. Εις τούς αιώνας, αγλαοφανώς μακαρίζοντες.
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English:

With a sign by the authority of God, the god-bearing Apostles, having been delivered upon clouds from all around the world and having reached your immaculate and life-delivering body, venerated it resplendently.
And the sublime Forces of the Heavens, present along with our Lord, escorted your god-receiving and impeccable relic, filled with awe, preceeding the heavenly procession and resounding invisibly to the Higher Battalions:
"Behold, the Queen of all, who bore the God-child, has arrived! Raise the Gates and welcome her celestially, her, the Mother of the eternal Light! Through her came about the deliverance of the entire genre of the mortals. And to gaze upon her surpasses our powers, nor is it possible to offer her a Praise worthy enough. For her excessive glory surmounts every perception."
Immaculate Mother of God, you who forever lives along with your life-giving King and son, intercede always so that your people shall be protected and delivered from every assault. For we have been gifted with your protection. Unto the ages of ages, we bless you in all your radiant glory.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Music
• Medieval
• Byzantine
• Chant
• Greek
• Choir
• Religious
• Dormition
• Virgin
• Mary
• Theotokos
• Orthodox
• Lycourgos
• Angelopoulos
• Christian
• Eastern

[CeltPerson]

I had to sing this not too long ago at vespers, all I have to say, thank God that my parish is mostly Slavic traditions, it was hard enough for me to do this in the Obikhod/Bakhmetov tonal system we use, if we had used byzantine, PFFT!

[Callixtinus]

@CeltPerson :

Most westerners have two major difficulties with byzantine chant -

1) The entirely different notation system that lies on a whole different concept than western notation

2) The non tempered scales. Where one sees in western scales tones of 12 and 6 particles, and flats and sharps of 6, in byzantine scales tones may be 6, 8, 10, 12, 18 and rarely even 14 or 16 particles, flats and sharps 2, 4, 6 particles.

It all lies on practice though. The key is to be able to listen.

[hobojoe9127]

Are the Byzantine tones related to the ancient modes (e.g., Dorian)?

[Callixtinus]

Yes. The ancient greek modes were based on the pythagorian scales which were not tempered and defined three types of natural tones, the major tone (12 particles), the minor tone (10 particles) and the minim tone (8 particles), so that the natural scale would go 12-10-8-12-12-10-8 instead of the tempered 12-12-6-12-12-12-6.. Of course there are variations but byzantine music essentially makes use of the pythagorian scales.

[ChristainPatriot01]

As it was in the begining as now and ever shall be world with out end.Amen

[Lysandros]

Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Hol Spirit!

[religionorthodox]

Glory be to God now and ever and unto the ages of ages!!!

Greetings from Bulgaria to all Orthodox brothers!

It is a great pleasure to study this ancient Byzantine tradition and I reccommend you to do it, you will not regret it! Thus you can be given the chance to feel somehow...differently, divine.

Χαιρετίσματα, αδελφοί Έλληνες από τη Βουλγαρία!

[003doors]

8:19 the best solo ever in the history of byzantine music in my opinion.

[pavloskouris]

One of the greatest hymns in Hellenic Byzantine Music with ALL modes and tones.

Diffiicult but great.

Hellenic Byzantine Choir by Lykourgos Aggelopoulos.

[psteele555]

@CeltPerson I chanted it at that Vespers service, it's not as difficult as it may seem. What's difficult is actually learning Byzantine chant in the first place, if you're coming from a Western background.

[Bla31n]

Blessed Byzantium.

[neamonitis1]

you can download them direct from yutube by downloadinding real player sp2 which enables you todownload them direct to your computer and convert them to mp3

[SoricaJuric]

Please, Callixtinus, I need to have these chants. How may I obtain the .mp3 ? Where? Please.

[bizintin]

@journeytoself I just read the 5 comments below of the translation of the Greek by Callixtinus. Such a powerful chant for you to feel kinship with. In the depth of your grief both for your aunt and for your inability with people, but such joy that you should "feel" the amazing goodness of this chant.