Hymns

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this module is to teach seventh graders about the details and symbolism of various aspects of the church. The students will learn about how all features and details that are found in the church, such as the vessels, architecture, hymnology, iconography, etc., have deep spiritual meanings beyond what we can observe with our senses. When we understand the symbolism of the details, we are able to appreciate the traditions of our church. In this lesson, we will take a closer look at the hymns of the Coptic Church.

INTRODUCTION - 5 Minutes

Explain that in this lesson, we will continue exploring the deeper meanings and structure of the elements of our Church. Today's focus will be hymns, which are core to our liturgical practice. Just like we learned with icons, our faith and the teachings of the church are embedded in our hymns.

  • In heaven, the angels praise God incessantly; by singing hymns, we offer God His due praise and glory and bring ourselves closer to heaven.
  • Singing hymns of praise has been connected with practicing the sacraments since the time of the early church in order to prepare our souls to receive the power of grace that lies in the sacraments.

The hymns of our church are the oldest of ecclisiastical (liturgical) music. Some of the melodies are believed to have been adopted from Ancient Egyptian rites and practices, which were passed down through oral tradition. All services in the Coptic Church are entirely chanted, with various hymns for all occasions and seasons.

Throughout this lesson, the use of a whiteboard is recommended, so that students may more easily keep track of the key words and ideas presented.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 minutes

The importance of praising God can be found throughout the Bible, particularly in the book of Psalms. Additionally, in the Book of Revelation, St. John describes how he saw all of creation praising God.

"Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing' And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: 'Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever'" Revelations 5:11-13

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 30 minutes

In this lesson, we will discuss: (1) general characteristics of hymns, then (2) the various tunes, followed by a discussion of (3) hymns in the liturgy and (4) the Midnight Praises (Tasbeha).

General Characteristics of Hymns

  • Hymns during liturgical services rely on antiphony - alternating between sides (north and south).
    • When one side is chanting, the other side should be praying and contemplating on the prayers being sung
  • Coptic music is entirely vocal and sung without harmony. We use simple percussion only to keep rhythm and tempo (cymbals and triangles)
    • This is because the motivation and joy of the music is from the Holy Spirit, not from the sounds that the instruments make
  • Many Coptic hymns are melismatic, meaning that there is prolongation of a single vowel or syllable for many notes
    • The tune can ascend or descend to create a feeling or emotion in the listener to inspire meditation, according to the church season. The melismatic component of hymns can sometimes seem overly-prolonged, but if the musical composition is broken down, we can see patterns that serve to invoke great feelings and contemplation within us.
  • The same text can be sung with different tunes, depending on the season/day, and conversely, the same tune may have different text. Furthermore, the same hymn may have 3 forms: short, abridged, and long.

Tunes

There are six main tunes used in the church throughout the year.

  1. Annual - This basic tune of the church used for all days throughout the year that are not discussed below
  2. Joyful/Festive - This tune is reserved for: Seven Major and Seven Minor Feasts of the Lord, the Holy 50 days, Nayrouz, & the Sacrament of Matrimony
  3. Palm Sunday (Hosanna Tune) - This uplifting tune is used on Palm Sunday and on the two celebrations of the Feast of the Cross.
  4. Sorrowful - This is the tune used during Holy Week and funerals. It is very sad and melismatic.
  5. Kiahk Tune - This tune is used during the advent season, and when we celebrate the Feast of Nativity. Having a specific tune for advent shows us the importance the church places on the preparation of our souls for the birth of Christ.
  6. Lenten Tune - This tune is used during the Great Lent and during the Fast and Feast of Jonah. There are two different tunes that are used, one said during weekdays and the other on weekends. The lenten hymns help us focus on fasting and prayer to prepare our souls for the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

In addition to these tunes, there are also two melody types, which are based on the day of the week.

  • Adam - Hymns labeled Adam are to be sung Sunday through Tuesday, and also on certain specified days
  • Batos (Watos) - Hymns labeled Batos are reserved for Wednesday through Saturday, for evening service, and for Holy Week.

The Divine Liturgy and Offering of Incense

The Coptic liturgy is almost entirely composed of hymns and chants, with only the readings, the Creed, the absolutions, and the dismissal read without tune.

  • Three liturgies have been established in the Coptic church:
    • Liturgy of Saint Basil - Celebrated throughout the year
    • Liturgy of Saint Gregory - Used today in the celebration of four major feasts (Nativity, Epiphany, Resurrection and Pentecost); its music is somewhat more ornate than that of the Liturgy of St. Basil and has been characterized as the most beautiful because of its high emotion, invoking much contemplation and meditation
    • Liturgy of Saint Cyril - Unfortunately, most of the melodies of the Liturgy of Saint Cyril have been lost, and it can no longer be performed in its entirety.

The Midnight Praises (Tasbeha)

Midnight Praises, known as "Tasbeha" in Arabic, are a collection of hymns based on the Bible. As its name suggests, the Midnight Praise typically happens late at night, preceding a liturgy in the morning. After praying the Agpeya, Tasbeha begins with a hymn known as "Ten Theno," which calls on God to awaken us from our slumber so that we may praise Him fittingly.

  • The Sunday Tasbeha (that occurs on Saturday night) then proceeds with 4 "Hoos"-es or canticles. Each Hoos is taken from the Bible, followed by a "Lobsh" or explanation hymn.
    • The first Hoos is the Song of Moses taken from Exodus 15:1-19
    • The second Hoos is Psalm 135, which thanks God for "His mercy that endures forever".
    • The third Hoos is the praise of the Three Holy Children (Daniel 3:26-56), followed by the Greek hymn Aripsaleen.
    • The fourth Hoos is Psalm 148, 149 and 150.
    • A Lobsh serves to explain the preceding canticle. It is not directly Biblical text, but is based on the same Biblical theme.

Between the third and fourth Hoos are additional hymns, the commemoration of the saints, and doxologies.

  • Doxologies are hymns of praise in honor of the season, the Virgin Mary, the angels, the apostles, the saint of a particular church, or other Coptic saints, as time may allow. They have short verses of four lines each and conclude with the last verse of the Theotokia for the day.

Tasbeha continues with the Psali of the day, followed by Theotokias.

  • Psalis are hymns that accompany either a Theotokia or Hoos.
    • There are seven Psalis, one for each day of the week, to be sung as either Adam or Watos.
    • Every Psali has from 26 to 46 verses. The verses are often arranged in alphabetical order according to the Coptic or Greek alphabet by the first letter of each verse. Such patterns serve as mnemonic devices to enable one to chant the hymns from memory.
    • One unique feature of Psalis is that they have a refrain, an element rarely found in ritual pieces. Usually the refrain is made by repeating the fourth or third and fourth lines.
    • The Psali is also distinguished among our Coptic hymns in that it is organized around the name of the Lord Jesus, which is repeated in almost every verse. With this we discover that the Coptic hymn is a dialogue with the Name of Salvation, the Name of Jesus Christ.
  • Theotokias are glorifications of St. Mary that intricately explore the various symbols of the Virgin and Christ's incarnation present in the Old Testament.
    • There is one set for each day of the week, with each set presenting one aspect of the Old Testament typology as it applies to Mary, the Mother of God
    • There is a special collection of Theotokia meant to be performed only during the month of Kiahk for Advent.

APPLICATION (Action) - 5 Minutes

Time permitting, have students listen to parts of the hymn "Epouro" (King of Peace) in its different tunes, as an example of how the exact same lyrics are sung in very different melodies.

  • Holy Week/Lenten tune:

  • Long Joyful tune:

  • General Glorification tune:

Quiz the students with the following questions:

  • How many different tunes do we have in the church? What are they?
  • Why do we use antiphony?
  • How many Hoos's are there? What Biblical passages are they taken from?
  • What are 3 unique features about Psalis?
  • What are Theotokias?

ACTIVITY - 7 Minutes

Have the students listen to the various melodies of Distribution Hymn - Psalm 150 and have them guess which tune each belongs to. Find links in the attached activity sheet below.

CONCLUSION - 5 Minutes

Once again, emphasize the concept that hymns are not just music, but carry Biblical messages and have spiritual meanings beyond what we can observe with our senses. Those meanings are intended to help us to come closer to God and absorb the theology that is being chanted as we partake in the liturgy. The angels praise God through singing and chanting. When we sing in church, we are doing the same work of the angels. We prepare our souls for heaven by learning to praise God on earth.

RESOURCES

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

Encourage your children to attend Tasbeha, or play recordings at home. Remind them to participate with the congregation by saying the responses during Liturgy. Also, encourage them to attend any hymn classes or choirs your church holds for their age.

LESSON ATTACHMENTS

Grade 7 Week 3 Activity (Liturgy).pdf