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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 April 1999 Issue No. 425 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 15 - 21 April 1999 Issue No. 425
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Book review
Tradition preserved
This unique and impressive publication will be of great value to Copts around the world, as well as musicologists. The Liturgy of Saint Basil is the culmination of 70 years' devoted work by Dr Ragheb Moftah, the esteemed Director of the Department of Music and Hymns at the Coptic Institute of Higher Studies in Cairo. It was produced in collaboration with Margit Toth, a Hungarian national who was responsible for the music transcription, and Martha Roy, an American who edited the text.
I am neither a musician nor a musicologist so I cannot comment on the tireless work that went into this publication, nor about all the cantors who tirelessly chanted the liturgy and enabled it to be recorded. But I have hearkened the lyrical chants in Coptic churches over many years, and am particularly interested in religious traditions, and it is from this latter perspective that I review this new publication.
Coptic liturgies are entirely sung rites. Every nuance of its melodies authentic. The tunes have been passed down "orally" from generation to generation of cantors and singers with no use whatsoever of any form of song sheet. The music that fills a church is sung without the accompaniment of musical instruments, bar a pair of naqus (small hand cymbals) and trianto (a triangle).
Now, as a result of Dr Moftah's tireless work, he has ensured that the entire collection of Coptic Liturgical music is preserved for posterity. This musical heritage of the Coptic church has been set down for the first time, along with verbal transcription and translations in English and Arabic.
Valuable as this is (and of that there is no question), one cannot help but wonder whether, as Copts come more and more to rely on the notated work, some part of their vocal musical heritage will not be lost in the generations to come. In other words, while spreading some 20 centuries of musical tradition to Copts worldwide, could it sound the death knell of a melody hitherto carried in the hearts and voices of the faithful and often musically illiterate?
The Coptic Orthodox Liturgy of Saint Basil has been lauded by Pope Shenouda and welcomed with enthusiasm by Copts. It is one of the three liturgies included in the Euchologion, the prayer book of the Coptic Orthodox Church. And it is unique. It stands apart from the Arabic, Armenian, Hebrew and Greek traditions of the region and its melodies and hymns form an observance that has bound the Egyptian church's adherents since the introduction of Christianity here in the first century. Moreover, it is the liturgy most familiar to Copts in Egypt.
Reviewed by Jill Kamil
