Catholic music in Arabic
  • StephenColbert
    Posts: 16
    My apologies in advance for what is likely a challenging request.

    My pastor has asked that we try to learn a simple hymn or chant in Arabic in honor of one of the seminarians who has spent the summer at our parish.

    I was thinking about a very easy to learn chant or hymn (in unison) to be sung during Holy Communion or perhaps a simple Arabic setting of the Agnus Dei.

    Any suggestions, links to sheet music, and/or recordings? I have no familiarity with Arabic, so the text would need to be transliterated from the Arabic alphabet to the English alphabet. If that's not enough, the young cantor I accompany is not familiar with chant notation so something in modern notation would be preferable.

    I sincerely appreciate any feedback, input, or recommendations y'all might have to share!
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,799
    I used to drop in at a Syriac church in Paris and spend the service puzzling over which thirds were major and which minor. When there was a cantor visiting from the home country the chant was really breathtaking. Wikipedia has a decent survey of the tradition. Youtube is a bit hit and miss.

    Ah, here's something like I remember.
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  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Is the seminarian Roman-rite or Eastern-rite? Is he from another country?

    If he's a Melkite-rite seminarian, then this Marian chant in English would be suitable. Another English version is available as an mp3 file on this page (Kontakion of the Annunciation).
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,980
    If he is Eastern Catholic, see what the Melkite Eparchy in Newton has to offer. Newton is a suburb of Boston, I believe, and they do have a website.
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  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Arabic-speaking Catholics are also found in the Maronite (Eastern Catholic) Church, and in the Syriac Catholic Church.
  • StephenColbert
    Posts: 16
    The seminarian is Roman-rite. I'm not where he was born, but he has lived in both the Middle East and United States. He attends a seminary here in the US.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,216
    Well, that makes it a little more complicated. The only Catholic parishes here in the U.S. where Arabic is used in the liturgy are Maronite or Melkite (as far as I know). A few of us have had contact with those parishes, so we might be acquainted with their music. But even fewer, perhaps none of us, have experienced a Roman-rite liturgy in Arabic.
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  • StephenColbert
    Posts: 16
    I have been watching a recording of Pope Francis celebrating Holy Mass in Amman, Jordan and it sounds as if some parts of the Ordinary (Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei) are chanted in Arabic--the Agnus Dei sounds like an Arabic setting of Mass VIII.
  • JahazaJahaza
    Posts: 470
    Holy Mass in Amman, Jordan and it sounds as if some parts of the Ordinary (Gloria, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei) are chanted in Arabic

    That was indeed the case. The booklet for the celebration is here on the Vatican web site. It confirms that parts of the ordinary were sung in Arabic, but unfortunately it doesn't include any substantial Arabic music, but merely notes that these parts were to be sung in Arabic by the choir.
  • JahazaJahaza
    Posts: 470
    In the latest issue of the newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, it was announced that the Rev. Francis Abaskhron has been appointed diocesan coordinator of the Arabic Speaking Apostolate. He's a Coptic priest, but apparently he's been appointed to a Roman Arabic speaking apostolate, so he might have some contacts for Arabic speaking Latin Liturgy. You could contact him through Holy Family-St. Thomas Church where he is in residence.
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  • JL
    Posts: 171
    The Cedars of Lebanon hymnal (Maronite) has some pretty good Arabic hymns, in unison and four-part settings, all with phonetic renderings and English singing translations. A WorldCat search should turn up several copies, with a few probably at a Catholic university near you. (ABEBooks may have some for sale as well.) You might also contact the Maronite Eparchy of Brooklyn--I believe they have quite a bit of music available on their site, although the last time I checked most of it was only in English.

    Interesting fact about the Melkite Eparchy of Newton: While it's the Eparchy of Newton, the cathedral is in Roslindale. But then the Latin Archdiocese of Boston has its offices in Braintree. Go figure.
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