Fr. Seraphim's Aramaic Chanting

[Pavel Mosko]

I've been interested in this priest and his music for a few years since I like chanting and I also like studying the history of hymnography coming from Judaism onward into Christianity. This priest is Assyrian in nationality but at some point became EO. His music does not sound like what I've heard from the Assyrian Church of the East which has been described by one person I read as sounding like "you are in a congregation of tone deaf worshipers"

Anyway I suspect he is adapting some of Assyrian Church chant to EO tones or something like that because it sounds pleasant to my western ears. He lives in the Russian province of Georgia so maybe he is adapting to whatever musical tradition they have their anyway for you folks up on tones, EO choir music and all that give a listen and tell me what you think.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

PS - is the chanting monophonic? It reminds me of Armenian chant, which I understand is monophonic. (Armenian missionaries missionized Georgia).

 

[Aleph.beth]

good stuff - thank you for posting

 

[ArmyMatt]

very nice!

 

[Phronema]

I don't know much about the inner workings of chant, but I really enjoy these chants. It's funny as I was just listening to these last night. Outstanding work by Father Seraphim, and the choir.

 

[dzheremi]

Some enterprising person took the audio from the YouTube video in the second video link you have there and pressed onto a vinyl record a few years ago. There are now 49 copies of that record around the world that aren't owned by me, so you can probably guess how I feel about Fr. Seraphim's chants. (I'm not the one who made the record. I just thought it was odd when I saw it. "Hey, I know that particular YouTube video!")

Anyway, there have been ethnic Assyrians in Georgia and Russia for quite some time now (as well as Armenia). If I recall correctly, the populations are related to the land gained via the Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828), by which Iran lost territory in what is now Armenia, eastern Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Dagestan (which is until today a part of Russia proper). Famous Assyrian nationalist and poet Dr. Freydoon Atouraya (born in Urmia, Iran) was hanged in Tbilisi (where he had been sent to study medicine) in 1926 at the age of 35 for his nationalist activities.

Here is one of his poems set to music in 1976 by Leon Sando, an Assyrian singer in Australia. This is probably the first famous version of it, but it has since been covered by other Assyrian artists, including one I've never actually heard named Vladislav Shumun (probably connected to Russia and/or Georgia's Assyrians in some way...just a guess ):

 

[Tigger45]

Definitely soul gripping.

 

[AMM]

I like his work and enjoy listening to it on YouTube as well.

 

[PittBullMom]

Beautiful!!!!

 

[Frankl]

Just to note:
1. Georgia is not Russian province!
Christianity was first preached in Georgia by the Apostles Simon and Andrew in the 1st century. It became the state religion of Kartli (Iberia) in 319. (Wikipedia)
2. The comment that Armenian missionaries missionized Georgia is FALSE, in Georgia no one consider them even as same faith, we are Orthodox, they are heretics.

P.S.
New Video - Psalm 53:

God bless you all!

 

[SalemsConcordance]

I had trouble finding an album for Fr Serafim for a long time and just used YouTube playlists, but found one last week. Spotify, Amazon, and iTunes if you are interested!
Chanting in the Language of Christ by Seraphim Bit-Kharibi