www.byzcath.org Forums Mysteries: The Life of Worship The Kliros Prostopinije setting of 'Having Beheld the Resurrection...'?

Greetings, all. I was wondering if anyone could point me to a prostopinije setting (whether as sheet music or a recording) for the hymn "Having Beheld the Resurrection of Christ" (Voskresenije Hristovo Vidjevse). English would be preferable but Slavonic is fine too. Thanks.

The Ruthenian books indicate it's done recto tono but we follow the custom (Paschal Matins) of using Kievan Tone 6 and done three times (once by clergy, two by the people; a reader or cantor also chants the oikos to the same tone). Here is a nominal setting offered by the MCI: Having beheld the Resurrection [mci.archpitt.org] (A link to a recording is at the very end of this link.)

Interesting. I honestly don't remember how it was chanted last Saturday at my ACROD parish, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the Kievan Tone 6 (which is familiar to me from my previous OCA parish). I guess I'll have to settle for Kievan tone 6 then. Thanks.

We (and our priests) had always chanted it "recitando" as noted in the Levkulic book. This year was the first year (that I can recall) that I heard it according to the MCI tone.

I believe the MCI supplement for Pasha says that the Kievan Tone is not the original but has become widely adopted in the Ruthenian Church.

When I cantor in a Carpatho-Russian Orthodox or a Ruthenian Catholic parish, my preference is NOT to sing "Having Beheld the Resurrection of Christ" in Kievan Tone 6. That setting is not part of our plain chant tradition. However, if the pastor as the president of the Liturgy states that I do, then I must. At Resurrection Matins it is chanted thrice as a previous poster stated and at every Sunday Matins service.

I do recall that a Carpatho-Russian setting was published in the OCA Resurrection choir book published by Saint Vladimir's Seminary. It employed Tone 6 - Samohlasen in four-part SATB. It also used the same for the "Jesus risen from the dead as He foretold."

Learning each other's chant is a good thing. The late Archbishop Job Osacky was probably instrumental in having that setting included in the book.

Thanks 70x7.


Is it the same melody as this one? http://www.abbamoses.com/Prostopinije/canon6.pdf

Here's another question... are there any prostopinije settings for the akathist hymn?

The Prostopinije does not have a setting except for the refrain. The MCI's version uses the customary melody that is designated as the Pochaiv chant: Akathist.pdf [mci.archpitt.org]. They have changed the original repeating "Hail" to "Rejoice" which I would argue is incorrect in the context of the hymn. Also, the original (Greek) designates that the Kontakia are tone 8 which the MCI version follows. This used to be sung in tone 7 (Ruthenian). To me there is a disconnect between the tonality of tone 8 and the refrains as given in the Prostopinije. Putting it another way, the refrains which are given in the Prostopinije I would think are tone 7, and the Kontakia when chanted in tone 7 flow seamlessly into the Prostopinije Alleluia refrain. If so, the harmonious aspect of the use of tone 7 was sacrificed for fidelity to the Greek usage. But we are not Greek and should have a right to our own usage when it is an organic and warranted development.

Like the RDL translation/abridgement itself, one step forward, several steps backward.

Thanks, AJK!


Does that mean the rest of the prayers are to be chanted recto tono, or was there some setting that was lost or never written down?

I agree with 70 x 7 and ajk. Many of you might recall that my father was regarded for many decades as one of the 'experts' in the ACROD regarding prostopenije.( He was indebted to his childhood pastor,Father Orestes Koman and the parish cantor,
Prof. Molnar for training him in his youth for his foundation in the chant.) He always recited that particular prayer until he heard it sung reverentially in the Kievan tone 6 on a recording from the Byzantine Catholic choir of the parish then located in Van Nuys,CA. He liked the way that sounded and he did that thereafter. But elsewhere in our diocese the practice is to read it, and that is reflected in our pew book for the service.

Please watch this video from the Uzhorod Greek Catholic Cathedral. At 1:40 the choir is singing "Having Beheld the Resurrection of Christ" in Tone 6 Samohlasen. At the Blessing of the Paschal Food, there are some familiar American priest friends too.

The clip was choppy...I wasn't sure if that was the "priests part" sung by the choir instead, or the refrain which is Samohlasen Tone 6...could be. Was that Father John Cigan??

It was a clip of the "Having beheld the Resurrection." IMHO it was a terrible editing job, however, I did manage to get that part.

Yes....Father John Cigan, Father Edward Cimbala and Father Charles Yastichock. All familiar faces. Father Cigan's new assignment is Wilkes-Barre.