UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE ASSYRIAN - SYRIAC CHANTS FROM THE LITURGY OF THE CHURCH OF THE EAST A DOCUMENT SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS By EVE GEORGES SADA Norman, Oklahoma 2021 ASSYRIAN - SYRIAC CHANTS FROM THE LITURGY OF THE CHURCH OF THE EAST A DOCUMENT APPROVED FOR THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC BY THE COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF Dr. Richard Zielinski, Chair Dr. David Howard Dr. Jennifer Saltzstein Dr. Jeffrey Swinkin Dr. John Jones © Copyright by EVE GEORGES SADA 2021 All Rights Reserved Table of Contents List of Tables ……………………………………………………………………………. Acknowledgments ………………………………………………………………………. Preface …………………………………………………………………………………... Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………. ix x xiii xiv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Statement of Purpose ……..……………………………………………... Significance of the Study………………………………………………... Scope and Limitations …... ………………………………………………. Structure and Procedure ………. ………………………………………… 1 2 4 5 CHAPTER 2: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The Assyrians …………………………………………………………… Music and Poetry ……………………………………….…………….… The Writing System …………………………………………….….…. … Consonants & Vowels …………………………………………………… 7 8 14 15 CHAPTER 3: THE CHURCH OF THE EAST An Overview on the History ………………………........... Prominent Church Writers (4th …………………………....  Mar Aprem (St. Ephrem) 4 373) ...……. iv of the Church 19 centuries 24 ‫ܡܵܪܝ ܐܲܦܪܹܝܡ‬th cen. (c.306- 25 -7th)   Mar Marutha of Maypharqaṭ 4 ̣ ‫ܡܵܪܝ‬th cen. (died c.420) ….. ‫ܡܵܪܝ ܢܲܪܣܲܝ‬th cen. (c.399- c. 502) 27 Mar Narsai 5 ………................... Mar Baḇai the Great 6 551-628) …….…. 30 ‫ܡܵܪܝ ܒܵܒܲܝ ܪܵܒܵܐ‬th cen. (c. 32 Church Hymnody ……………………………………………….………. The Liturgical Year ……………………………………………………... Chant and Homilies Themes …………………………...…………….…. The Writing Style and Genres …………………………….….…………. 34 35 37 42  CHAPTER 4: CHANTS AND HYMNS  Soghithạ̄ܵ …………………………………………………….  Madrāšā ‫ܡܲܕܪܵܫܵܐ‬ …………………………………………………….... `Onithā, ‫ܥܘܿܢܝܼܬܵܐ‬ …………………………………………….…...  Tešbuḥta ‫ܬܸܫܒܘܿܚܬܵܐ‬ ………………………………………...........  Memrā ‫ܡܹܐܡܪܵܐ‬ ……………………………………………....…… Chant Melodies …………………………………………………….......... Women’s Choirs …………………………………………………………  44 46 47 48 49 50 52 CHAPTER 5: CHANTS AND HYMNS 1. Hymns of Advent (Khathbshabe D-Subara) …………………………………………. 63 Teshbokhta: Brikh Khannana - Blessed is the Compassionate One ̇ ‫ ܒܪܝܼܟܼ ܚܲܢܵܢܵܐ‬:̇ 2. The Feast of the Nativity of Christ (`Eda D-Yalda D-Maran) ….……………………. 69 Madrāsha: Shukha L-haw Yalda - Glory to That Child ‫ܥܹܐܕܵܐ ܕܝܲܠܕܹܗ ܕܡܵܪܲܢ‬ v ̇ ̇‫ ܫܘܼܒܼܚܵܐ ܠܗܵܘ‬:‫ܡܲܕܪܵܫܵܐ‬ 3. The Feast of the Epiphany (`Eda D-Dinkhe D-Maran) ………………………………. 73 Soghitha: Ri`yan Shaqlan - John the Baptist and Our Lord ‫ܥܹܐܕܵܐ ܕܕܸܢܚܹܗ ܕܡܵܪܲܢ‬ ‫ܪܸܥܝܵܢܝ‬ ̣ : ‫̣̣ܵ ܕܥܲܠ ܡܵܪܲܢ ܘܝܘܿܚܲܢܲܢ‬ 4. The Rogation of the Ninevites (Ba`utha D-Nenwayeh) ……………………………….85 Madrāsha: Khannana Wa-mleh Rakhmeh - Kind and Merciful ‫ܒܵܥܘܼܬܼܵـܐ ܕܢܝܼܢܘܵܝܹ̈ـ‬ ̈ ‫ܚܲܢܵܢܵܐ ܘܲܡܠܹܐ‬:‫ܡܲܕܪܵܫܵܐ‬ 5. The Great Lent (Sawma Rabba) ……………………………………………………….89 Madrāsha: Ha Rakhmeh D-Maggan - Behold! God’s Free Mercy ‫ܨܵܘܡܵܐ ܪܲܒܵܐ‬ ̈ ‫ ܗܵܐ ܖ̈ܲܚܡܹܐ‬:‫ܡܲܕܪܵܫܵܐ‬ 6. The Palm Sunday (`Eda D-Osha`neh) …………………………………………………92 `Onitha: Ṭuwa L-Yallude - Blessed are the Children ‫ܥܹܐܕܵܐ ܕܐܘܿܫܲܥܢܹ̈ـ‬ ‫ ܛܘܼܒܼܵܐ‬:̣ 7. Holy Maundy Thursday (`Eda D-Piṣkha) ………………………………………….......96 Madrāsha: Tawdi Lamshikha - Thanks be to Jesus ‫ܥܹܐܕܵܐ ܕܦܸܨܚܵܐ‬ ̇ ܼ‫ ܬܵܘܕ̇ܝ‬:‫ܡܲܕܪܵܫܵܐ‬ 8. Good Friday (Ruta D-Khasha) ………………………………………………..…...…. 100 Madrāsha: It`ir Shahre Zmar - Stay Alert O Watchers! ‫ܥܪܘܼܒܼܬܵـܐ ܕܚܲܫܲܐ‬ ̇:‫ܡܲܕܪܵܫܵܐ‬ ̇ 9. Great Saturday (Shaptha Rabtha) ……………………………………………………...104 Teshbokhta: Brikh Ithya - Blessed Be the One ̣̇ ̣̇ ̣ ̣ :̇ 10. Easter Vigil (Shahra D-Qyamta) ………………………………………………….…...107 Soghitha: Bazqiputha Tahra Khzith - The Cherub and the Thief ‫ܫܗܲܪܬܵܐ ܕܲܩܝܵܡܬܵܐ‬ vi ̣ ̣ ‫ ܒܲܙܩܝܼܦܘܼܬ̣ܵܐ‬:̣̣ܵ 11. The Feast of the Holy Resurrection (`Eda D-Qyamta) ………………………………...120 `Onitha: Shabakh L-Marya - Praise God in His Sanctuary… Hallelujah ‫ܥܹܐܕܵܐ ܕܲܩܝܵܡܬܵܐ‬ ̣ ‫ ܫܲܒܲܚܘ‬: ‫ܥܘܿܢܝܼܬ̣ܵܐ‬ 12. The Ascension of Christ (`Eda D-Sulaqa D-Maran) ……………………………….….122 `Onitha: L-Khorsia D-Khila - Your Throne is Majestic ‫ܥܹܐܕܵܐ ܕܣܘܼܠܵܩܹܗ ܕܡܵܪܲܢ‬ ̣ ̣ :‫ܥܘܿܢܝܼܬ̣ܵܐ‬ 13. The Feast of Pentecost (`Eda D-Panṭequsṭeh) …………………………………………126 Soghitha: B-`Eda Pṣikha - At the Joyful Festival ‫ܥܹܐܕܵܐ ܕܦܲܢܛܹܩܘܿܣܛܹ̈ـ‬ ‫ ܒܥܹܐܕܼܵܐ ܦܨܝܼܚܵܐ‬:̣̣ܵ 14. The Feast of the Transfiguration (`Eda D-Gilyaneh) …