Akathists

[michaeldimmickjr]

i have a questions. hopefully it's not that stupid...
can Akathists be read as oppossed to chanted? i do not know the tones. which brings me to another questions... is there an online resource or any other resource that i can use to learn the tones? thanks in advance!

pray for me, a miserable sinner,
michael

 

[choirfiend]

Sure. When we do an Akathist, we typically read the kontakia and the paragraph part of the irmos, then chant the "refrain" part with the normal akathist melody. If you have a piano near by, this is the pattern; uber simple.
The letters are note names and the each dash is roughly one quarter beat. First sing the single note for most of the line--the "melody" part of the chant falls near the end of the line according to what words get emphasized.

eeeee(indefinately and freely for as many syllables as you have til near the end of the line)-f-g--f-e-d---
ddddd(indef)-e-f--e-d-e---
ccccc(indef)-d-e--d-c-b---
bbbbb(indef)-c-d--c-b-c--d--

and repeat over and over.

 

[michaeldimmickjr]

thank you very much!

in IC XC,
michael

 

[Matrona]

Thanks for that, choirfiend!

 

[choirfiend]

Welcome! And, it can be sung in any key, of course...That's just for learning the pattern!

 

[moses916]

Reading Akathists When Alone

 

[michaeldimmickjr]

thanks moses!

in IC XC,
michael

 

[michaeldimmickjr]

what about going through the Divine Liturgy by yourself? is this something that is acceptable?

prayer for me, a miserable sinner,
michael

 

[choirfiend]

There are ways set out for serving services when without a priest-It's called Typica. But I would ask your parish priest about what and how he would have you do at home.

 

[choirfiend]

Here's info on doing "Reader Services," or services with no priest (or Eucharist, I might add).
http://www.saintjonah.org/services/horologion.htm

 

[michaeldimmickjr]

awesome! thanks for the information choirfiend!

in IC XC,
michael