Justin Appel

Dear Friends,

Today, I find myself hankering for music from the Greek liturgical tradition. I would like to share one example that will hopefully speak to you. This is Psalm 140/141, a psalm associated with Vespers, here sung in Greek by the Capella Romana—a choir based in Portland, Oregon.

Thanks to the digital wizardry of the Icons of Sound group from Stanford University, the choir presents this psalm in the actual acoustic, carefully sampled and reproduced, of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, including its unbelievable 11-second sound decay.

Here is the text of the psalm, along with the refrain, with English translation below. If that is of interest, the second link will give you some helpful visuals with which to integrate the sound.

Yours in Christ,

—Justin

Psalm 140, Capella Romana, Alexander Lingas

Ikons of Sound – Total Sacred Immersion (the music is a slow chanting of Psalm 49:3, theProkeimenon, a bit of chant sung before the Epistle reading)

Δέσποτα Κύριε σοί μόνω αναπέμπομεν εσπερινόν ύμνον, ελέησον ημάς.
Master Lord, to thee only we remit an evening hymn, have mercy on us.

Κύριε, ἐκέκραξα πρὸς σέ, εἰσάκουσόν μου· πρόσχες τῇ φωνῇ τῆς δεήσεώς μου ἐν τῷ κεκραγέναι με πρὸς σέ.
Lord, I have cried unto thee: Listen to me; attend to my voice, when I cry unto thee.

Δέσποτα Κύριε σοί μόνω αναπέμπομεν εσπερινόν ύμνον, ελέησον ημάς.
Master Lord, to thee only we remit an evening hymn, have mercy on us.

Κατευθυνθήτω ἡ προσευχή μου ὡς θυμίαμα ἐνώπιόν σου, ἔπαρσις τῶν χειρῶν μου θυσία ἑσπερινή.
Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; the lifting up of my hands, as an evening sacrifice.

Δέσποτα Κύριε σοί μόνω αναπέμπομεν εσπερινόν ύμνον, ελέησον ημάς. 
Master Lord, to thee only we remit an evening hymn, have mercy on us.

Θοῦ, Κύριε, φυλακὴν τῷ στόματί μου καὶ θύραν περιοχῆς περὶ τὰ χείλη μου. 
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; and a strong door about by lips.

Δέσποτα Κύριε σοί μόνω αναπέμπομεν εσπερινόν ύμνον, ελέησον ημάς.
Master Lord, to thee only we remit an evening hymn, have mercy on us.

ἀκούσονται τὰ ρήματά μου ὅτι ἡδύνθησαν. ὡσεὶ πάχος γῆς ἐρράγη ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, διεσκορπίσθη τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτῶν παρὰ τὸν ᾅδην.
They shall hear my words; for they are sweet. As a lump of earth is crushed upon the ground, their bones have been scattered into hades.

Δέσποτα Κύριε σοί μόνω αναπέμπομεν εσπερινόν ύμνον, ελέησον ημάς.
Master Lord, to thee only we remit an evening hymn, have mercy on us.

Σοφία, ορθοί.
Wisdom, stand upright.

Ναι, ὅτι πρὸς σέ, Κύριε, Κύριε, οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου· ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα, μὴ ἀντανέλῃς τὴν ψυχήν μου.
Yes, for unto thee, Lord, oh Lord are mine eyes, unto thee I have hoped; rebuke not my soul.

Δέσποτα Κύριε σοί μόνω αναπέμπομεν εσπερινόν ύμνον, ελέησον ημάς.
Master Lord, to thee only we remit an evening hymn, have mercy on us.