Voice and Sound of Prayer 3
Continuing in the direction taken in the fi rst two editions (Armenian Liturgical Chant; 2010, and Oral and Written Traditions in the Byzantine Chant in Italy, 2011), this year the one-day seminar in the series “Voice and Sound of Prayer” will also be devoted to an ecclesiastical musical tradition from the Christian East: the Melchite tradition.
Strictly speaking the term melchite means a Catholic church sui iuris practising the Byzantine rite in Arabic and headed by the Patriarch of Antioch, based in Damascus (Syria). At this seminar, however, the expression Melchite Liturgical Chant will also stand for the liturgical musical heritage of the Orthodox Christians practising the Byzantine rite in Arabic in the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. All these churches have common roots and share not only the geographical extent but also the
features of their respective liturgical-musical traditions.
Today, like the Orthodox Arabs under the Patriarchate of Antioch, the Melchites (also called “Eastern Catholics”, “Byzantine Catholics” or “Greek Catholics”) follow the Greek variations of the Byzantine rite as regards leadership, theology and spirituality. Moreover, both communities stand out from the other Eastern Christians because along with Greek they use Arabic as a liturgical language (until the 17th century Syriac was also used in the liturgy).
Voice and Sound of Prayer 3
Melkite Liturgical Chant
A study day and concert curated by Girolamo Garofalo
5 December, 2012 – Venice, Island of San Giorgio Maggiore
Free admission
Programme
9.30 am – 12.30 pm
Welcoming remarks
Giovanni Giuriati
Director of the Giorgio Cini Foundation Intercultural Institute of Comparative Music Studies
Girolamo Garofalo
Curator of the Study Day
Papàs Jani Pecoraro
Vicar General of the Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi (Palermo)
Archimandrite Elisha Marzin, Monastery of the Theophany of Aubazine (France) and the St Paul’s Institute, Harissa (Lebanon)
Reflections on Melkite Church history: toward a new paradigm
Monsignor Mtanios Haddad, Rector of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin (Rome)
Liturgical texts in Arabic
Michel Skaf, Greek College in Rome
Chant, prayer and theology
2.30 – 5.30 pm
Bachir Al Osta, Archon Protopsaltis of the Holy See of Antioch and Director of the St Stephen the Melodist Patriarchal School of Byzantine Music, Antelias (Lebanon)
Musical structures and forms of the Melkite chant: orality, writing, local traditions
Michel Maalouf, Protopsaltis of the Orthodox Church of Tripoli (Lebanon)
Byzantine chant between the past and the present: historical sources, identification and compatibility
Introduction to Bachir Al Osta and the cantors in the St Stephen the Melodist Choir from Antelias-Rabwe (Lebanon)
6.30 pm
Concert by the St Stephen the Melodist Choir from Antelias-Rabwe (Lebanon)
Choirmaster Bachir Al Osta
Free admission
Info:musica.comparata@cini.it