Why chant?

[Baroness]

OK, before I start, please excuse my dumb question, and I apologise if it has also already been answered.

Last week I was visiting a convent, and during the Morning Prayers / Matins and Evening Prayers / Vespers, I was asked to read the Psalms in English. I'd never read before, so this was a new experience for me. First off, I read the Psalms like I was reading a book. The second day, the Abbess whispered to me that I need to read it in monotone - meaning chanting. So I did - and from then on, had no problem with it, glory to God. (It wasn't as hard as I was expecting it to be).

But a week later, here I am sitting wondering what is the significance and history of this chanting in Church, rather than simply reading? It is very interesting to me.

Thank you.

[Edward Henderson]

The monotone reading style is more of a custom among the Slavic Orthodox Churches than the Greek. Although, I think it is the ancient practice. It is recommended because we do not want to bring our own emotional interpretations to the text when we are reading in the Church. This style really allows the words to speak for themselves.

[Scamandrius]

Glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Baroness, I do not think I have a "correct" answer to your question, but I have one that sounds reasonable so hear me out.

Realize first that the ancient languages of the Church, Greek in the East and Latin in the West, were primarily spoken. Texts, as we know them, are a very recent invention. Poets such as Homer and Virgil did not have men read their texts per se, but the texts were read to others at public recitations. Now, Greek and Latin poetry are constructed around various metres such as trochaic, dactylic hexameter, iambic penatmenter, elegiac couplets, etc. The poetry works by the alternation or combination of short and long syllables to form feet (pedes) in an individual line depending on the genre. Epic required dactylic hexameter, elegy required couplets, comedy and tragedy required iambic trimeter, etc. To do this effectively would require the reader or composer to essentially sing the work in a monotone. Otherwise how could the listener effectively differentiate between words since he was not using a text to follow along? It was also necessary for the reader to sing it because texts had no spaces between individual words. This was done because of the expensive nature of supplies like parchment and so it was best to conserve. In so differentiating between syllables and individual words, the reader/singer would then change his tone to alert the audience to a the start of a new word or a new thought of each stanza. No one in the ancient world would have considered the idea of reading merely with one's eyes. St. Augustine in his Confessions remarks that he saw St. Ambrose doing that and couldn't understand it. There is also the myth of the young girl who refused to be married a wealthy young man and vowed to becomea temple priestess. Her young suitor then carved into an apple "I will marry him." He threw the apple at her before she took her vows and she read it aloud. Since this was said before a temple, it was considered a sacred vow!http://www.monachos.net/mb/clipart/happy.gif

Again, the important thing here is to remember that texts are a very recent invention. English is different from Greek and Latin in that its poetry is built more around stress accents than upon the quantity of individual syllables and also depends a lot more on end rhyme and other devices. I think the reason chanting is done is because it is traditional and beautiful.

Honestly, would you prefer going to Vespers, Orthros or Liturgy and not have it chanted? The beauty of the chant, especially Byzantine chant is such that Vladimir, duke of Kiev, when he wished to convert to Orthodoxy, attended liturgy at Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. He remarked that having heard the chanting, he did not know if he was on heaven and earth. Chanting is part of the mystagogy of Orthodoxy. I praise and thank God that it is.

So if that provides some insight, let me know. If I am wrong, I ask for admonition and correction.

Scamandrius
unworthy servant of God

[Herman Blaydoe]

Hebrews 2:12 “ I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”

When you chant or sing prayers, you pray twice (old Orthodox saying).

[Moses Anthony]

In my service to my priest and the other members of the parish, I chant, and I read in my normal voice.

During the Liturgy; although I'm before the people, my intent is that they not focus on me, but on the words which they hear. Therefore, my back is to the congregation, and I chant in monotone.

However; during Great Vespers when the lessons are read, I speak in normal voice, and try as best as I can to make a question sound like a question, a definitive statement like a definitive statement, and so forth. Again, the intent is not to draw attention to myself, but that the words may some alive, and sink into the heart of the hearers.

Each person is at a different place, and so will receive the chanting and reading in a totally different manner!

[John P. Nasou]

To Scamandrius who said - Realize first that the ancient languages of = the Church, Greek in the East and Latin in the West, were primarily = spoken. Texts, as we know them, are a very recent invention.=20

Not quite as recent as you may suppose. Both Ancient Greek and much = later Latin had a long lyrical tradition. Moreover by the time of = Alexander the Great literacy was quite common among ordinary citizens of = the major cities. By biblical times the ability to read and write was = even more common, particularly in the east. There were large publishing = houses where scribes were employed to copy texts which were widely = distributed to those rich emough to afford them. Personal letters and = financial records have been found buried in the desert of Egypt = attesting to personal correspondence. The Jews were quite musical and = chanted their services with the people being quite knowledgeable of the = Psalms and other canticles within their scriptures. This was adopted by = the Greeks and other gentiles in Apostolic times who worshipped in the = synagogue with them until the Christians were expelled. There is = excellent evidence that in all that time the people sang and chanted = their services. If you require scholarly verification of what I say look = up the book - A HISTORY OF BYZANTINE MUSIC AND HYMNOLOGY BY EGON = WELLESZ.

I am curious about your name. Is it a real family name indicating its = origin from the region of the River Skamandrios near the ancient site of = Troy? Or it one that you designed as a blogging identity? If not, what = is your first name?

[Robert Meyering]

I'm not aware of the history of chanting, and will check out the book recommended. But for me, at the present time, I agree with the note written about not calling attention to yourself. In the (Protestant) seminary I attended there were classes in Scripture reading and reading of other forms. Thay all emphasized the need to bring to life the words there. Of course, each person does this differently, so every time someone read, we would hear not only the words, but the way this person read them.

Having become Orthodox, I realize now how distracting that was. The monotone chanting, or variation there on, allows the words to be heard without the interference of the reader trying to determine the meaning by his own individual inflection of voice.

Now, I admit, we do get distracted sometimes with a reader, through no fault of their own other than inexperience. We follow the pattern of Russian churches, at least I assume its a Russian tradition since we do it in our own Patriarchal parish in Michigan, and I have also heard it done in an OCA church in Denver. The reader begins on a very low note and proceeds by half steps rising as the passage is read. One needs to judge how many "steps' can be taken in his voice range. Occasionally our deacon will make to many steps and end up very high with voice cracking. But we learn from such things and do the best we can.

[Herman Blaydoe]

The Russian practice, done correctly, is quite interesting. The usual smallest interval between notes is a half tone. From C to C sharp is a half tone. This Russian practice actually uses quarter tones, putting a step between C and C sharp! This is obviously rather difficult to do, but as you have seen, if you don't, a long Epistle will have a baritone singing falsetto by the end!

[Robert Meyering]

Thanks for your comments, Herman. Is the Russian custom to raise to the next tone with every verse? Of is the amount of material chanted on one note up to the chanter? And where is the tone change made, at the end of the verse, on the last word? Or the first word of the next verse?

Robert

[M.C. Steenberg]

Is the Russian custom to raise to the next tone with every verse?

Just as a side note, this is a Russian chanting custom; not the only one. In some parishes all reading from the centre of the temple is done this way; others not. In the UK, we tend to use it rather more for feasts or special celebrations than for the usual readings - but even here this is not hard and fast.

INXC, Matthew

[Olga]

Thanks for your comments, Herman. Is the Russian custom to raise to the next tone with every verse? Of is the amount of material chanted on one note up to the chanter? And where is the tone change made, at the end of the verse, on the last word? Or the first word of the next verse?

Robert

In the church I attend, the (experienced) readers raise the tone on the last word of the end of the section, then begin the next section on the same note. The readers, with practice, work out how to pace themselves so as not to get caught short and run out of voice before the end, so the intervals do not correspond to verses unless the epistle is short enough, or the reader has a broad vocal range.

I have also heard this being done in almost every recording I have of Russian/Slavic liturgical material.

It seems that the upward scaling of chant seems to be used only for Epistle readings, and the deacon or priest's prelude to the singing of Mnogaya Lyeta (Polychronion, or Many Years). Other readings such as psalms, Old Testament readings, etc are chanted without this scaling, other than a little upward vocal "flourish" on the very last word to "close" the reading.

[Robert Meyering]

Thank you to all who have so far provided a response to my question.

Olga, what you describe is what I hear in my church. And you're right, the rising tone is used for the epistle reading, but not for the gospel. I hadn't thought of that before, but that's the way it is.

[Father David Moser]

The readers, with practice, work out how to pace themselves so as not to get caught short and run out of voice before the end,

This implies a very important point that is too often neglected. Those who will read in Church should (ideally) practice beforehand what they will read. In some cases that simply means to look over it and make sure you can pronounce all the words, in other cases that means to work out the melody and text together. As most of you who sing/chant are aware, for the regular melodies (ie-the eight tones or the podobens) the "notes" aren't there - all you are presented with is a block of text which you then "fit" to the tone. It is best to go through the text you will sing ahead of time and at least mark the changes and phrasing so you don't get caught (this is especially important for the one leading or conducting a group of singers).

But even those reading the epistle (or the clergy reading the Gospel) should look at what they are reading beforehand so as not to get "caught" unawares by an odd word or phrasing. (and too often we don't prepare but just "wing it" "off the cuff" as it were).

Fr David Moser

[Paul Fowler]

This implies a very important point that is too often neglected. Those who will read in Church should (ideally) practice beforehand what they will read. In some cases that simply means to look over it and make sure you can pronounce all the words, in other cases that means to work out the melody and text together. As most of you who sing/chant are aware, for the regular melodies (ie-the eight tones or the podobens) the "notes" aren't there - all you are presented with is a block of text which you then "fit" to the tone. It is best to go through the text you will sing ahead of time and at least mark the changes and phrasing so you don't get caught (this is especially important for the one leading or conducting a group of singers).

But even those reading the epistle (or the clergy reading the Gospel) should look at what they are reading beforehand so as not to get "caught" unawares by an odd word or phrasing. (and too often we don't prepare but just "wing it" "off the cuff" as it were).

Fr David Moser

I don't think this can be emphasised enough. When I first started Reading, my besetting sin (about Reading) was reading the epistle too quickly and not giving the priest (or deacon if there was one) enough time to cense all he needed to cense. I now do the reading and keep an eye on the censing at the same time. Hopefully in (a short) time, the timing will become second nature......

In XC


Paul F

[Herman Blaydoe]

I think the biggest reason we chant and/or sing, is because that is the way the Church worships God. It is how the ancient Jews worshipped God in His Temple. The Psalms are meant to be sung, does anyone here doubt this? The Prophets and St. John in his Revelations describe the angels singing before God.

Monotone chanting is a kind of singing, just with one or two notes. It is certainly easy to learn, particularly for those who might not be musically proficient. Seems like a simple matter of practicality.

[Cyprian (Humphrey)]

Yes, this is very similar to what I was told by my bishop. The monotone is used simply as a means to take attention off the person reading and his interpretations, and help people focus on a text. I was also told (and I'm still not 100% on the accuracy - maybe someone else can help) that this was an ancient version of a PA system. In a large church, with a lot of people, and kids, etc., there will inevitably be a bit of noise. The monotone used helps people "pick out" the sound of the reading from the ambient noise, much like one can hear the phone ring, even in a noisy room. If anyone has had this sort of experience in a large church building (the mission I'm attached to is somewhat small) please let us know.

Also, I was told, and have come to realize this is absolutely true, that the little "flourish" at the end of the reading is mostly a cue to the priest that you're done now. He doesn't usually have the text in front of him, and needs to know when to give the reader the blessing (or introduction to the next reading).

Just my two kopecks though.