Approaching Ancient Hymns

 Liturgy is the formal prayer for a community or organized group. The Chaldean liturgy dates back to the apostles, specifically St. Thomas who sojourned to the Nineveh plains. There is a long history of the formulation of the Chaldean Liturgy of the Hours, with many revisions throughout the centuries. Although many of the texts have been preserved through the centuries, there is little preserved in terms of the music, except for the current practice of liturgical prayers and the Mass. How old is this music? Who wrote the melodies? Did the author or the prayers also write the melodies that fit them? The answers to the questions are practically unidentifiable do to the lack of manuscripts. However, there is a living tradition, and it at least dates to the early 1900’s. The best I can do is make an educated guess as to which hymns are older than others, based on the modes that are used, and the complexity of rhythmic and melodic movement.

What not to do…

If these prayers have been around for many centuries, it would be unjust to take a melody and set it to a musical setting that we would normally hear today. It should be taken care of as if it were a painting that’s thousands of years old found in a cave covered in dust. It should be handled carefully, dusted off and cleaned up to first see the beauty it contains in its raw form before it is further ornamented or put to use in the context of liturgy today. This means I shouldn’t just pick up a modern instrument and try to play it. So, which instrument is best suited for this kind of task? The voice.

What to do…

As I approach each hymn, I first sit in silence with it to understand the text. While I meditate on that, I live with the melody for several weeks, until it sinks into my bones, which means I examine it inside out, up and down, forwards and backwards, breaking down the rhythmic structure, the range of notes, and figuring out how the music compliments and enhances the words. Then, it is notated and recorded in its simple form. After it has sunken in, I play with it seeing how to maybe find an accompanying harmony, or perhaps a contrasting melody. Sometimes, a hymn is best in its raw form, and it would be an injustice to try to change or add anything to it.  

As a first-generation Chaldean-American, it is simply impossible for me to remain purely Chaldean in my musical taste. In fact, most of the Chaldean population in the world today exists outside of Iraq, the majority residing in English speaking countries. Having been formally trained in Western music in my upbringing, and later trained in Eastern music, I have the beauty of both at my disposal. Why even strive to preserve this music when there are thousands of hymns in English that we can use in our churches? Because it’s beautiful. That’s enough of a reason for me. Most of the work I do relies in recording and teaching old melodies that are translated into English. This would be impossible to do without the efforts of Chor Bishop Andrew Younan, who has translated hundreds of hymns. This monumental effort is what will keep our liturgical heritage alive, and it will nourish the community for generations to come.

What the Future Holds

Bio

Monica has been a lifelong musician, earning a bachelor’s of arts in music and masters of arts in Musicology from San Diego State University. She is proficient in voice, trumpet, piano, and harp. Aside from her duties as choir director of St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral in El Cajon, CA, she teaches private and group music lessons, as well as arranging and composing music for liturgical settings. Her passion is to promote the Arts, that it may restore beauty to humanity.