Matins of the Resurrection
Matins of the Resurrection
Conductor: Elizabeth Anderson
Production: Damon Productions Ltd
Recorded approximately 1984
Playlist
As this recording of the Matins is continuous, identifying the individual hymns for tracks was difficult.
- Tracks 1 to 3: Resurrection Litany, Easter Canon in Tones 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
- Tracks 4 to 8: Easter Canon Tone 9, Exapostilarion, Sticherae of the Resurrection, Ecumenic Prayer, Aitesis Prayer, and Dismissal
About
Fr. Boniface Malowany
Fr. Boniface Malowany, OSBM, the celebrant featured on this recording is a native of Alberta. Ordained in Rome on June 29, 1960, he studied Byzantine Liturgical music at the Pontifical Oriental Institue in Rome. He has also studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and received vocal instruction at the Ontario College of Education. In addition to fulfilling his duties as a priest, he is an instructor at St. Basil's College in Toronto and conducts two church choirs in the Toronto area.
Fr. Methodius Nychka
Fr. Methodius Nychka, OSBM, is the pastor of St. Basil's Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Edmonton. He was ordained in Lviv in 1944 and, since 1946, has served parishes in Brazil, USA, England and Canada. He is a devoted enthusiast of Ukrainian Choral music. His encouragement and support have contributed in no small measure to the growth and success of our parish choir.
Matins of the Resurrection
The Feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most celebrated and joyous of all the great feasts of the Ecclesiastical Year. It is referred to in liturgical texts by various titles, such as "The Holy and Great Sunday of the Pasch," or simply "The Holy Pasch." The word 'pasch" which is sung many times during Matins of the Resurrection, comes from the Hebrew word meaning "passover". For Christians, the Feast of the Pasch celebrates the Passover of Jesus Christ from death to life.
In the Byzantine rite, the Matins of the Resurrection commands special attention amongst the various services that honor this feast. It is the first service sung on Easter morning and can be called the Grand Hymn of Glory in honor of Christ the Victor. Written by a theologian of the Eastern Church, St. John Damascene (c.675-749), it is based on the Paschal sermons of the Fathers of the Church. Its content is dogmatic, its form highly poetic and its tone joyful and victorious.
The Sticherae (verses) of the Resurrection form a powerful hymn of joy in honor of the Risen Christ. With the Troparion, they encompass the essence and significance of Easter. "This is the day the Lord has made: let us be glad and rejoice therein. Christ has risen from the dead! He has conquered death by His death, and bestowed life upon those in the tomb."
This recording of the Matins includes music (Easter Canons) by Artem Vedel, and arrangements of traditional church chants by Fr. Boniface Malowany.
Artem Vedel (1765?-1808) studied music in the Kievan Hohyla Academy. He also studied with the Italian composer Giuseppe Sarti. Together with his contemporaries, Dr. Bortniansky (1751-1825) and M. Berezovsky (1745-77), Vedel represent the apex in the development of Ukrainian choral culture. Vedel exercise his unique talent in the composition of choral works, primarily in the form of sacred concerti, and in music for the Divine Service, especially for the celebration of special feasts.
Source: LP Cover
