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This week's episode of "Icons in Sound" celebrates "The Sunday of All Saints," presenting a number of hymns in praise of such saints as Equal-to-the-Apostles SS Constantine and Helen, SS Cyril and Methodius, and St. Nino, Enlightener of Georgia; the great Hierarchs St. Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom; and great women saints, including St. Thekla and St. Elizabeth, Grand Duchess of Russia.
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Our program musically celebrates the Sunday of All Saints, first of all with the Communion Hymn “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,” which is heard in three different versions:
1) by Fr. Sergei Glagolev, from the CD “Lay Aside All Earthly Cares” (CD I-63) by Cappella Romana, guest-conducted by Vladimir Morosan;
2) by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, from a 2-CD set Rimsky-Korsakov: Complete Sacred Choral Works (CD A046), by the Blagovest Choral Ensemble of Moscow, directed by Galina Koltsov;
3) by Pavel Chesnokov, from a CD entitled “Pavel Chesnokov: Let My Prayer Arise,” by The Choir of the Orthodox Church of Turku, Finland (no longer available).
Also featured on the program is the Troparion Apolytikion for the Sunday of All Saints, sung by Hierodeacon Gherman Ryabtsev on his CD, “Holy and Great Week and the Festal Triodion” (CD B068)
The text reads as follows:
As with a robe of imperial crimson and royal purple,
Your Church has been adorned with Your martyr's blood shed throughout all the world.
She cries to You, O Christ God:
“Send down Your bounties on Your people, //
grant peace to Your habitation and great mercy to our souls!”
This is followed by a series of hymns to various saints:
The troparion and kontakion for SS. Constantine and Helen, Equals-to-the-Apostles, comes from the CD entitled “Byzantine Music in the New World: Orthodox Saints," by the Byzantine Chorus of the Sign of the Theotokos Orthodox Church, Montreal, Quebec
The “Hymn to SS Cyril and Methodius,” Equals-to-the-Apostles and enlighteners of the Slavs, is a composition by Peter Tchaikovsky, and comes from the CD "Sacred Song of Russia" (CD C03) by Gloriae Dei Cantores, Elizabeth Patterson, conductor
The text to this paraliturgical hymn was written by Tchaikovsky himself (translated here by Vladimir Morosan)
Let us embrace, my Slavic brother,
and together recall joyfully
that day when our enlightener,
the Holy Cyril departed this earthly world.
There, at Peter’s Cliff, he spoke these words
to his brother Methodius, as he awaited his death:
“O my borther, my fellow sufferer,
Comfort me in my final hour!
Return to our Slavic children!
Sow Christ’s seed among them,
so that the fruit of faith might grow and ripen,
and the Slavic peoples might see the light of truth.
Meanwhile, I shall be praying in heaven,
that the Lord would strengthen them in the faith.
And the Lord will bless our labors:
All the Slavs shall come to Christ!”
The kontakion for St. Nino (Nina), Equal-to-the-Apostles and Enlightener of Georgia, is from a CD by the Rustavi Ensemble of Tbilisi, Georgei, which is, unfortunately, no longer available.
The text reads as follows:
Let us sing praises to the chosen of Christ, Equal-to-the-Apostles and preacher of God’s word, the bearer of good tidings who brought the people of Katralina to the path of life and truth, the disciple of the Mother of God, our zealous intercessor and unwearing guardian, the most praised Nina.
The sticheron for St. Basil the Great is sung by a soloist of the “Madrigal” Ensemble of Moscow, on a compilation CD entitled “Celestial Litanies,” also no longer available.
The troparion for St. John Chrysostom appears on the CD “Resurrection! Hymns and Chants of Holy Pascha, (CD I-70) by Archangel Voices, Vladimir Morosan, conductor.
The troparion for St. Thekla, Protomartyr comes from the CD “First Fruits” by the Boston Byzantine Choir, Charles Marge, conductor, which is available from a number of different vendors.
Finally, the two kontakia in honor of St. Elizabeth, Grand Duchess of Russia, are sung on the CD “Orthodox Shrines of the Russian North: The Solovki Monastery, part 2” (CD D027) by the Male Choir of the Valaam Institute, Igor Ushakov, conductor.
The texts (translated by Vladimir Morosan) read as follows:
Taking up the Cross of Christ, and praying for your enemies,
you went from royal to heavenly glory, and found eternal joy,
Holy Martyr Princess Elizabeth and Martyr Barbara.
Pray unto Him for our souls!
O great passion-bearer, adornment of Russian women and our joy,
merciful Princess Elizabeth,
receive the sighing of our hearts, offered to you in love;
by your intercession before the Lord,
strengthen in us the spirit of true faith and piety,
establish us in the spirit of charity and mercy,
help us to bear the cross of sorrows with patience and hope,
preserve our people in love and harmony,
that we may be accounted worthy to enter into the joy of the Lord,
together with the Angels and all the saints, singing to him: Alleluia.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Heb. 12:1)
--Vladimir Morosan
6/20/2008
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