For the feast of our great father, ⲁⲃⲃⲁ ⲁⲛⲧⲱⲛⲓ, I would like to share this beautiful ⲁⲇⲁⲙ doxology from our work on the Bohairic Coptic Psalmody! The ⲁⲇⲁⲙ doxologies can be chanted in Matins during the Matins doxology, ⲡⲓⲟⲩⲱⲓⲛⲓ ⲛ̀ⲧⲁⲫⲙⲏⲓ (before the conclusion: ⲭⲉⲣⲉ ⲏⲗⲓⲁⲥ) or in the veneration service (concluded by ⲡⲟⲩⲣⲟ ⲛ̀ⲧⲉ ϯϩⲓⲣⲏⲛⲏ). …
In a historic event and for the first time, Coptic chant was prayerfully performed today in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City during the press preview of the fantastic Africa & Byzantium exhibit. What an immense honor!? We are extremely thankful to the The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for inviting us to …
Just over a month ago, I had the amazing opportunity to visit the holy city of Rome (and a few other awesome places in Italia!). Dare I say the most memorable event throughout my trip was visiting the Basilica of St. Paul in Rome, known as Outside the Walls. In it, are the chains of St …
The Coptic hymn ⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲉⲥⲧⲓⲛ is quite a controversial one! In terms of its text, there is a significant amount of ambiguity—first, it is written with both five and/or six lines in one stanza (the first stichon repeating twice in some texts and tunes). Second, it is also written in such a way that there …
Stumbled upon this gem while looking at some old home videos—Fr. Antonios Ragheb of blessed memory, and Fr. David Bebawy chanting the first two psalms of the Fourth Canticle (Psalms 148, 149, and 150) in my family home while my mother held me in her arms during my “tisht” prayers. Thankful to these fathers and to …
As we continue working on the Coptic English Psalmody, I wanted to share with you all one of the doxologies for the Anastasis (Resurrection, Holy Fifty, Eastertide as a whole) that I found in psalmody manuscripts. Ⲫⲏⲉⲧⲁϥϣⲁⲛϣ is commonly known as the second doxology of the Resurrection, but some of you may be interested to …
When Copts contemplate the rituals of Holy Week, oftentimes, the first thing that comes to mind is the burial rite during the 12th hour of the Good Friday service—if not for anything else, then just because of the hymn chanted during the ritual: Golgotha. While most will tell you that the hymn originated from the …
As we continue to strive through Lent, I’d like to share a few hymns from the Liturgy of St Mark (commonly attributed to St Cyril) because it is proper practice in the Coptic Rite to pray this anaphora during periods of fasting. The hymns of this anaphora are perhaps the most rare of all of …
Blessed Advent! This year, I’ve received a ton of questions about the melody for the ⲁⲇⲁⲙ ⲑⲉⲟⲧⲟⲕⲓⲁ during the month of Kiahk. I’ve created a playlist of the sources that have preserved this tune for us. As you listen through the playlist, you’ll hear the voices of HH Pope Kyrillos VI, Cantor Asaad Moussa (the …