www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News New mandatory music--Sept. 1???

Professor,

Can you please elaborate on the issue of "non-canonical" music?

And can you give an example of when the Ruthenian Church "actually sings what the Typikon assigns" as opposed to, as in the example, the OCA. A referrence to the location in the Typikon of the "assignement" will be appreciated.

I appreciate your time and effort to respond and look forward to learing.

Tony

Originally posted by J Thur:
"What do these things matter to one who is lapsed? (cf. profile: Religious Affiliation: "lapsed Rusyn Greek Catholic") Isn't this like worrying about seating arrangements at dinner when one has no intention of attending?"

Dear Joe,

Please excuse me for injecting a question into this thread. I mean no disrespect.

When did it become policy of this Forum that only members of the Rusyn Greek Catholic Church are permitted to comment here?

I ask because it has been my experience, for the most part, that all are welcome and encouraged to post their opinions as long as they express the truth in a charitable way.

Lemko has posted here for some time. One does not have to agree with his positions, but isn't he entitled to post?

I don't understand the reasoning behind this.

Thanks for hearing me out.

Steve

In response to Anthony's post, requesting information about canonical and non-canonical singing:

The best and clearest statement of this principle is given in the book by Dr. Ivan von Gardner, "Russian Church Singing, Volume 1: Orthodox Worship and Hymnography" (SVS Press, 1980). Chapter III in that work begins with a section entitled "Canonical and Non-Canonical Singing." I give a brief excerpt:

"The distinction between canonical and non-canonical singing applies only to the musical aspects of the liturgical singing, since all liturgical texts are, by definition, canonical;...the term "canonical" refers to singing that consists of melodies contained in the official liturgical singing-books--either ancient manuscripts written in staffless notation, or printed books with staff notation published by the Holy Synod of the Russian Church. (NB--the author is describing RUSSIAN Church Singing.) It makes no difference whether these melodies are performed in unison, in two, three, or four voices; as long as the canonical melody is maintained, the singing may be termed canonical. By contrast, non-canonical singing consists of freely-composed polyphonic settings of liturgical texts, which, although intenede for use in liturgy, do not employ the canonical melodies, and in various other ways to do not fulfill the requirements placed upon liturgical singing in the Typikon. (The author adds in a footnote: "Canonical singing must be understood as singing that is prescribed by the Usav, both in terms of actual melodic material AND THE STYLE OF PERFORMANCE. It is canonical in the sense that it has been canonized and recognized by Church authorities to be correct and proper for use in the liturgy.")

Refer to pages 101-112 in vonGardner.

(Prof.)J. Michael Thompson
Byzantine Catholic Seminary
Pittsburgh, PA

Professor,

Thanks for the prompt reply and the referrence. I will read the surrounding texts in hopes of getting it clearer.

Perhaps it is beyond the scope of this thread but it seems to me then that the Bokshaj-Malinich Prostopinije would be on the same footing as the Bakhmetev-L'vov Obikhod (in their respective churches) so if Obikhod is sung it is canonical as would anything from the Prostopinije since it is published with the blessing of a hierarch or synod.

Newer compositions, choral and otherwise, would fall out of this league until included in a future work given the appropriate blessing/approval?

I was told by at least one Ruthenian BC priest that the Ruthenian melodies for parts of the liturgy (Izhe and Da ispolnjatsja) are based on folk melodies. I don't know whether that is accurate, if it is then what makes the melodies canonical now is their inclusion in a collection that has an "imprimatur" of one form or another?

Tony

In Tone 6 Galician tropar melody (the kondak melody is different in Resurrectional Tone 6 Galician) we have this English translation from the Synodal Liturgikon, a bit different:
"Angelic powers were upon Your tomb* and the guards became like dead men..." At least in Galician chant "became like" is a bit easier than "fell down like".