{"id":2625,"date":"2009-04-10T10:00:48","date_gmt":"2009-04-10T15:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/religionandethics\/?p=2625"},"modified":"2013-05-10T15:07:57","modified_gmt":"2013-05-10T19:07:57","slug":"april-10-2009-orthodox-chanting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/religionandethics\/2009\/04\/10\/april-10-2009-orthodox-chanting\/2625\/","title":{"rendered":" Orthodox Chanting"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

BOB ABERNETHY<\/strong>, anchor:\u00a0 This weekend of Easter Sunday (April 12) for Western Christians we have a profile coming up of an inspiring Christian musician.\u00a0 We also have a \u201cBelief and Practice\u201d segment on chanting in Eastern Orthodox churches, where this is Palm Sunday.\u00a0 Because of differing church calendars, Eastern Orthodox Easter — Pascha — is next week (April 19).<\/p>\n

Our guide to Orthodox chanting was Emily Lowe, a member of the choir at the Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church in Linthicum, Maryland.\u00a0 She told us not only about chanting, but also about her personal experience as a singer of the Eastern Orthodox conviction that worship brings change.<\/p>\n

EMILY LOWE<\/strong> (Choir, Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church, singing):\u00a0 Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"orthodoxchanting-post01-lowe\"<\/p>\n

The Orthodox Church is unique in modern times, having a completely sung liturgy. Everything is sung from the very beginning to the end.<\/p>\n

In Orthodoxy, the music is not sacred.\u00a0 The words are sacred.\u00a0 The music is really meant to fit the text.\u00a0 So when we talk about heaven, the voice goes up, and when you talk about hell or Hades or sin, it goes down.\u00a0 For instance (singing<\/em>), \u201cThe company of the angels was amazed when they beheld the number among the dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the time of the Ottoman Empire, the Greek chants took on sort of a very Middle Eastern character, and that\u2019s when you hear this sort of dissonant, odd sounding things:\u00a0 (singing<\/em>) Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, glory to thee oh God.\u201d\u00a0 It sounds very foreign to Western ears.<\/p>\n

For instance (singing<\/em>), \u201cRejoice\u00a0O Bethany.\u201d\u00a0 Rejoice O Bethany \u2014 it\u2019s a beautiful hymn, and it\u2019s very dear to the heart of our Arabic parishioners \u2014 (singing<\/em>) \u2014 \u201cGod came to thee; God came to thee.\u201d\u00a0 That little flourish at the end (singing \u201cla la la la\u201d<\/em>), very unusual and very otherworldly sounding, and that\u2019s kind of \u2014 that\u2019s the impression that people get.\u00a0 They might hear 20 things when they walk into an Orthodox church, but that\u2019s what they\u2019re going to take away.\u00a0 They\u2019re going to go, \u201cWhoa, I remember that.\u00a0 That was really unusual.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"orthodoxchanting-post02-clergy\"<\/p>\n

I converted about 12 years ago.\u00a0 I was 16, and my family converted together.\u00a0 It was initially my father\u2019s decision.\u00a0 He said, \u201cI think this is the place for us to be. This is where God\u2019s calling us, and this is really the fullest expression of the Christian faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

One thing about Orthodoxy is that it really demands change \u2014 and expects change. It expects that you will grow spiritually, that you won\u2019t just be the same person that you were the week before or the month before.<\/p>\n

From a personal standpoint, I never had a very good voice before we became Orthodox.\u00a0 I believe that I found my voice in Orthodox music \u2014 that I didn\u2019t have it in Protestant music or in secular music.<\/p>\n

When people say, \u201cOh, you did such a wonderful job,\u201d I feel like telling them it wasn\u2019t me, because it really wasn\u2019t.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t feel like me when I chant.\u00a0 I\u2019m thinking about God and expressing the words the best that I can.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The age-old chants and liturgical music of Orthodox worship have a special beauty and spiritual power for Eastern Orthodox Christians. 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