Akathist Hymn

monasteryliturgist

Does anyone happen to know where I can find Music for the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos with harmonies, completely notated?

chonak

I've heard it at Melkite parishes.

Parishes singing it often do have a music booklet for it, with notation only for the congregational portions, but with no notation for the portions sung by the priest or a lay cantor; these are sung with formulas.

But this video from Holy Transfiguration Church, the Melkite parish in McLean, VA
sounds like they have a completely scored version:
(the Akathist begins at 14:30 in the video):
https://www.youtube.com/live/3osr9AL7y0c?si=JGnT6hyLWAiXo2nj&t=870

a_f_hawkins

This score has a suggested harmonisation at the end.

monasteryliturgist

@chonak Very interesting. But Im looking for the traditional Tone 8 Byzantine Version. Something like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baIZLxR6cVM

monasteryliturgist

@a_f_hawkins thanks thats the one I found too, its just it would be easier if the harmony was below the entire score, but maybe I am going to have to do it myself.

chonak

The Cantor Institute of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy in Pittsburgh has some materials:

An article about the structure of Akathists:
https://mci.archpitt.org/singing/Akathist.html

https://mci.archpitt.org/sheetmusic/general/Akathist.pdf

An example of a harmonized stanza:
https://mci.archpitt.org/sheetmusic/general/Akathist_SATB_example.pdf

Felicia

@chonak, Thank you for posting this. I remember singing a version of the Akathist Hymn similar to the SATB example at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church in ALbuquerque, NM back in the 1980's. I was an accompanist at a neighboring (Roman-rite) parish at that time; members of that parish's choir were invited to enlarge the small Byzantine choir for a special event.

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