Speaking of Chant

[Servus Iesu]

I recently purchased two CDs of Byzantine Chant. One turned out to be a female choir in English and the other is the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in Greek by a male choir.

Anyway, it seems like I always make mistakes when trying to buy Greek or Byzantine Chant (I have no real knowledge of the stuff once I stray from the comfortable confines of Gregorian), so I would be happy to have some guidance from the good people here. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't like chant in English and I don't like the sound of women singing liturgical music (forgive me if that sounds offensive, but I just like the sound of men chanting better... if you have a really good suggestion of a mixed choir or something though I am willing to hear you out).

Thanks for your time. Xristos Anesti

 

[Matrona]

Do you like Russian chant? I like Robert Shaw Festival Singers' Rachmaninov Vespers (actually the service is an All-Night Vigil, but who's counting?). It's a mixed choir but it's really beautiful, and it's all in Slavonic.

 

[kamikat]

Check out http://www.saintromanosrecords.com/index.php/cPath/35?osCsid=13ea9b6587263f9e2b3db39327e09af9
On many of the selections, they have sample clips.

kamikat

 

[Servus Iesu]

Do you like Russian chant? I like Robert Shaw Festival Singers' Rachmaninov Vespers (actually the service is an All-Night Vigil, but who's counting?). It's a mixed choir but it's really beautiful, and it's all in Slavonic.

I do have one Russian Chant CD which I really like. It is a Slavonic Divine Liturgy. I'm not some kind of musical chauvinist, I just like the power of a real deep and strong male voice (or voices). The one CD I got recently is entirely feminine and just seems a little to ethereal (faery music) for my taste. It is also in English which I don't especially care for, my mother may like it though. She doesn't like the Greek and Slavonic stuff because she doesn't recognize anything that is being said, whereas she knows the Mass ordinaries well enough to recognize some Gregorian Chants.

 

[drewmeister2]

I like this CD:
http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/cgi-bin/ccp51u/cp-app.cgi?usr=51F6957308&rnd=8396366&rrc=N&affl=&cip=&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=2FEAST1&cat=Music&catstr=HOME:Music

If you go to their Home Page, you can hear a sample.

 

[Matrona]

I do have one Russian Chant CD which I really like. It is a Slavonic Divine Liturgy.

Rachmaninov's DL is really good.

I'm not some kind of musical chauvinist, I just like the power of a real deep and strong male voice (or voices).

Then you should really love the Russian basso profundo.

The Rachmaninov Vigil has high voices in it but it also has lots of deep ones. I think you'd like it.

 

[Greg the byzantine]

LOL I am almost positive you got something by EIKONA.

Too bad Liturgica.com is down or I would point you towards some great CDs.

If you can, google Simonopetra. The monks there recorded some beautiful CDs.

A lot of the CDs that have womens voices are choir pieces which I don't particularly like. But I love the sound of women chanting, because they have to have really powerful voices to Chant. Like the nuns of Ormylia convent and Lebanese singer Fairouz and Maronite nun Marie Keyrouz

 

[Servus Iesu]

LOL I am almost positive you got something by EIKONA.

Too bad Liturgica.com is down or I would point you towards some great CDs.

If you can, google Simonopetra. The monks there recorded some beautiful CDs.

A lot of the CDs that have womens voices are choir pieces which I don't particularly like. But I love the sound of women chanting, because they have to have really powerful voices to Chant. Like the nuns of Ormylia convent and Lebanese singer Fairouz and Maronite nun Marie Keyrouz

It isn't altogether bad, I just prefer the real meaty Slavonic and Greek type chant. I listened to the CD again and it isn't bad, I do kind of like it, but I expected a different CD to come actually. I had listened to the sample and really loved it and I had to get over the disappointment of not getting what I wanted.

Some time you'll have to give me a tour through the material on Liturgica. As I said, I'm a discerning Gregorian listener, but a newbie and a dabbler in Eastern Church music.

 

[gzt]

look for georgian stuff, particularly anchiskhati choir.

 

[Michael G]

I do have one Russian Chant CD which I really like. It is a Slavonic Divine Liturgy. I'm not some kind of musical chauvinist, I just like the power of a real deep and strong male voice (or voices). The one CD I got recently is entirely feminine and just seems a little to ethereal (faery music) for my taste. It is also in English which I don't especially care for, my mother may like it though. She doesn't like the Greek and Slavonic stuff because she doesn't recognize anything that is being said, whereas she knows the Mass ordinaries well enough to recognize some Gregorian Chants.

There are certain things in chant which sound much better when done with a female voice, or are even meant to be done by the female voice. And as for the preferring chant in a language you don't speak, that I do not understand either. The hymmnography of the Orthodox Church is too beautiful to not understand what is being sung. The verses of Holy Week, especially, are very, very powerful and moving.

 

[Michael G]

look for georgian stuff, particularly anchiskhati choir.

The anchisatkhati choir is very good, but their spokesperson seemed very "rough arround the edges." I wanted to talk to their "iconographer" and the spokesman gave me this lecture about iconography, as if I am ignorant of it. I then expl to him that I have studied iconography for 10 years and have been published in both writing and with my artwork. Another friend had a very similar experience with this same young man.

 

[Theophorus]

Liturguca is a good site. Plenty of samples.

http://liturgica.com/cart/musicInfo.jsp?catNo=AB078&hostname=null

They have a pretty extensive collection of all styles.

 

[The Prokeimenon!]

I like this CD:
http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/cgi-bin/ccp51u/cp-app.cgi?usr=51F6957308&rnd=8396366&rrc=N&affl=&cip=&act=&aff=&pg=prod&ref=2FEAST1&cat=Music&catstr=HOME:Music

If you go to their Home Page, you can hear a sample.

Ah! Good taste! I just received several CDs of indeterminate origin that are in Arabic and Greek. I'll ask what they are and let you know.

You can't go wrong with the "Greek Byzantine Choir."

Rdr Moses

 

[Unified in Christ]

-The CD of the "Maistores tis psaltikis technis" (Masters of Psaltic Art), the sound of celebration:
http://www.musical.gr/cddetails.scr?gui_language=2&CD_code=ANAT0002-2

-The CD of the "Greek Byzantine Choir", Hymnes A La Tres Saint Mere De Dieu
http://www.freemusic.gr/detail.php?id=1059619

-The CD of the "Maistores tis psaltikis technis" (Masters of Psaltic Art), Hagiorite Composers:
http://www.studio52.gr/info_gr.asp?infoID=00000kki

 

[RobNJ]

Another Idea-
Go toAncient Faith Radio
http://www.ancientfaithradio.com/
It's an internet radio station, you hear something you like- you can look it up on th playlist and there's a section where they list links to purchase the CD's

 

[Servus Iesu]

There are certain things in chant which sound much better when done with a female voice, or are even meant to be done by the female voice. And as for the preferring chant in a language you don't speak, that I do not understand either. The hymmnography of the Orthodox Church is too beautiful to not understand what is being sung. The verses of Holy Week, especially, are very, very powerful and moving.

I'm sure you are right about the female voices, I just don't care as much for those ones that I have compared with the Greek and Slavonic DL CDs that I have. But it isn't fair for me to judge all such music based on my admittedly very limited exposure. If you have recommendations for such music then I am open to hearing them.

I'm going to be studying Greek over the next few years, so I will be able to understand at least some of it. Other than that, my opinion is purely aesthetical.

 

[eoe]

RE: female chant - have you heard the chant from convent at Ormylia? They are amazing. Not a high ethereal girly sound but a more earthy chant.

CLICK ME
Iper agia Theokoe soson imas.

I dig it.

 

[Greg the byzantine]

RE: female chant - have you heard the chant from convent at Ormylia? They are amazing. Not a high ethereal girly sound but a more earthy chant.

CLICK ME
Iper agia Theokoe soson imas.

I dig it.

I mentioned them in my earlier post. The first time I heard their chant my hair stood up on and, I absolutely love it. It's that very strong very powerful female byzantine chant

Their cd Akatalipton Esti

http://www.liturgica.com/cart/musicInfo.jsp?catNo=AB031&hostname=null

and two cds to mary magdalene:

http://www.liturgica.com/cart/musicInfo.jsp?catNo=AB032&hostname=null

http://www.liturgica.com/cart/musicInfo.jsp?catNo=AB033&hostname=null

 

[Greg the byzantine]

The monks of Vatopedi monastery have some great recordings, there are samples here:

http://liturgica.com/cart/musicInfo.jsp?catNo=AB025&hostname=null

http://liturgica.com/cart/musicInfo.jsp?catNo=AB049&hostname=null

http://liturgica.com/cart/musicInfo.jsp?catNo=AB026&hostname=null

http://liturgica.com/cart/musicInfo.jsp?catNo=AB022&hostname=null

 

[Greg the byzantine]

These guys do an amazing job at capturing the true sound of byzantine chant but in English

This is the troparia to various saints:
http://liturgica.com/cart/musicInfo.jsp?catNo=AB008&hostname=null

Their first cd:
http://liturgica.com/cart/musicInfo.jsp?

And their Holy Week selection:
http://liturgica.com/cart/musicInfo.jsp?catNo=AB009&hostname=nullcatNo=AB007&hostname=null