Music is known to be different from all other arts whose influence disappear when it goes away.. It is an art, where all people participate and sing, day & night, in sadness & joy.. Even when it disappears, a picture remains surviving on people's tongues, sang as time passes..
At Scholars and Scientists testimony, Ancient Egyptian music is STILL surviving under two forms:
One form appears in the life of people specially Egyptian peasants mainly in the South who have lived until this day isolated from outer coming influences.. Their songs and hymns remained undoubtfuly unchanged since long ages. What might have changed are the words.. But we suggest performance is most likely the same as in ancient times.. The second form, is the hymns which are sung in Coptic Churches everywhere by cantors and people.. Copts are Egyptians, they inherited from their fathers, the Ancient Egyptians the music.. Even the new belief didn't affect or change this heritage, at the contrary, the belief put on the music.. New words coloured the ancient music which remained intact, Pharaonic in flesh & blood.
About folklore Music, it is known that it comes out of peoples life over thousands of years.. That is quite clear because the same atmosphere which pushed the Egyptian in the past to express himself in singing and chanting is still unchanged until today. Traditions, Customs, Environment and Nature didn't change except few..
Illona Borsai, presents several examples supported by musical transcriptions proving this previous opinions.. Among others, a song sung by mothers to calm their babies is:
"Ho..
Nam, Nam
Wadbahlak Goz Hamam
Wafarrak hulak ealgiran
Oskot, Oskot
Wadbahlak Goz Kot Kot.."
Also, the tradition of borrowing some women to cry the dead.. helping, therefore his family to cry & regret the person's death are all very old traditions.. Also, the songs of sailors and workers where one leader sings many monotonous verses and the whole group replies always with a standard sentence.. All that represent very old singing even if words are keeping changing..
About Coptic Church Music, Illona Borsai says that melodic aspects always remain intact in unwritten oral musics such as folk and Oriental Church Music melodies..
THE COPTIC CHURCH MUSIC IS A DESCENDANT OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN MUSIC:
One more thing proving the reliability of Ancient Egyptian Music in Coptic Hymns is the resemblance in words and difference in music with other churches.. That is well shown in Ethiopian Church Music which is very different from Coptic Music although the whole Ethiopian Church was conceived by the Coptic Church.. Each of them, in fact, preserve and represent the aspects of it's ancient culture (The same applies to all Apostolic Churches)
Scientists as Hans Hickman, Egon Wellesz, John Gillespie, Dryton and others support this opinion saying that there exist a resemblance in performance between the Modern Folklore and ancient chanting.. Further more, there is a superposition in chanting and vocalisation between Coptic Moallems, villager singers and of their Ancient Egyptian fathers..
Hickman proved that by comparing the singers face muscles found on "New Kingdom Sakkara's temples" walls and those of Coptic cantors when performing..
Their is also a resemblance in melodic and rhythmic signs performed by a singer or orchestra conductor, giving the rhythm by his right hand on the knee while the left hand draws in the air the main skeleton of the melody.. The rhythm bits usually accompany the melody in all bits.. (the translator: I think that means the "Dum" & the "Tak") or sometimes the hand shows the "Dums: heavy bits of the rhythm" only to clarify the speed and kind of rhythm which is played.. From here came out the hand signs (Cheironomy) showing Rhythm and Melody of Music.. As we know they are both the hypostasis of any music..
We did photograph our Generation's Master, Mlm.Mikhail Gerges El-Batanony while performing these signs (Cheironomy) along with the signs made by his grand fathers in Ancient Egypt (at Sakkara Nenkheftka's Tomb walls).. There exists also a great similarity of sound resonance between the Coptic Moallem's voice and the singer's one.. Curt Sachs was the first one to discover that resemblance and the relation between both through the contraction of face muscles up of the nose and contraction of mouth muscles Concerning "Melismata" we found the Great Music Historian Macapy writings in a Hieroglyph Text in the tombs at Bani-Hassan, the same was mentioned by the Valerian Demetrius and Nikomakhos at the very first centuries of Christianity to ask for God's Spirit.. As example, in Hallelujah Hymn known as Offerato Ally, the first vowel is said in melismata over three pages!!!
MUSIC-WORSHIP RELATIONSHIP:
Ancient Egyptians were very stuck to religion.. They made their God "Osiris" God of Music and dedicated for him a whole special Music Group having the best female musicians which became later on Goddesses of Arts and were called Musates or Mosates which is the origin of the word "Music"
The God Horus, God of Harmony and Order was the director of Music and managing the instruments playing.. Maysos is the inventor and defender of Music his name means Son of Eternity.. When they represent Isis, Goddess of wealth surrounded by music, they want to say that music is a heavenly gift, directed by theory and harmony in each of it's parts and surviving only in an atmosphere of wealth.. Further more, that Wealth is in ITSELF Music!! which means In Harmony..
Frescos of distinguished Body Movements accompanying music show that Egyptian Music was calm by nature.. And that it had a Holy aspect, not performed except by priests and Clergy people.. A priest, offering offeratos bearing incense & God's Logos usually was accompanied with music.. Musicians put always priests cloth.. That was shown in many sites:
Tombs beside Giza's Pyramids, Asswan Phialla temple's walls, Louxor's Valley of the King's tombs, Amenhotob II tomb (13th dynasty), Ramses II tomb (19th dynasty).. Psalm 150 mentions several kinds of music instruments to praise the Lord which means also all the human body upon the Alexandrian St.Clement commentary... That's why we don't find in the Coptic Church a special occasion dedicated for chanting and singing, at the contrary, every single word has it's special wonderful tune.. The music leads people into profound spirituality, it is dedicated for the soul's worship to serve God with all it's feelings.. It is not possible for the priest or the deacon to be ordained unless he masters them..
Music Transcription:
Following the previously stated frescos we observe that:
- Hand signs determine the speed of the rhythm whether high or low..
- Following the singers lips and head position in drawings and sculptures is a honest and true transcription of the musical pitch or notes.. It is known that each pitch or letter has it's special mouth picture (opening, wideness, position of tongue and teeth) It is known as Lips Language for deafs..
- Music professionals consider cheironomy (Hessit em Geret in Ancient Egyptian - Music by hand) one of the very first sources of music transcription.. It was used 4000 years later, in the European Renaissance time under the name Newmes..
These signs are still in use to teach Vocal Church Music (Look at the picture of Mlm.Mikhail Gerges El-Batanony).. Despite all that, Coptic music was not transcribed, unless in people's memory and vocal transmitting from one generation to another, so that we can decipher it's secrets!! Except in one case.. A papyrus was discovered in Bahnasa - Upper Egypt with the name "Oxyrinchus Papyrus" meaning the Bahnasa Hymn.. It dates from the 3rd century.. It is considered the oldest transcribed Coptic Hymn.. It was transferred to modern notation by P.Wager.. It is translated:
" All God's creatures can't stand in silence
nor the lighting stars can hide
All the wave filling rivers praise the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit
and all hosts participate with them.. Amen Amen"
It is taken out of Psalm (93:3,4), (148,4), (19:1,2)
Chanting & Praising Methods:
The Coptic Church uses its vocal (not instrumental) music in worship.. This is an Ancient Egyptian secular & religious habit.. In the New Kingdom of Pharaohs time, the voice got great importance and big emphasis.. They considered human's voice as transmitter of spirit from one person to another.. And the purest and most honest method of expression.. The God Tot named Osiris as (True of voice).. One of the dogmas performed in temples was called (The release of voice), this latest is well known to Copts (Osh Evol).. They believed that voice has a magic power.. Also the Jewish synagogues (not the temples') didn't use instruments.. It is well known that the Apostles did take the Synagogues' Dogmas for church use.. In Clement's laws, it was prohibited to introduce musical instruments in churches.. This vocal method allowed all people to participate in worship not only musicians (As John Gillespie says: transmitting arts orally from one generation to another is stronger than transcribing it).. Voice transmission makes music more popular in a fast way and not owned by a small minority, thus realising the Bible's words: "Let every soul praise the Lord" Ps.150:5 In fact, all our habits and customs inherited from one generation to another from our Fathers and Grandfathers were affected and influenced a lot by the different media means (Radio, TV, Theatre, Newspapers, Cheap Art Magazines) The different praising methods were mentioned by St.John Cassion:
- "Solo" praising called Tvacyus OE
- "Antiphonal" Praising.. 2 groups intersinging (Morabea).. It is the oldest. It's there where scientists are searching for the origin of Egyptian Polyphony..
- "Response" a group responding to a single person..
- "Group" praising
Every method of these has it's own share in our Coptic Praises..
Sources of the Coptic Church Hymns:
- We have mentioned that Philo (1st century) told that the Early Christians did take the Ancient Egyptian tunes and put to them Christian texts.. Among those hymns: Gholgotha which Ancient Egyptians used when mummifying and Pek Ethronos whose first half is full of sadness and sorrow for the Pharaoh's death and the second full of joy to celebrate his wedding trip to the Sun Boat to take him to Ra3 in the world of eternity..
- In this era the gift of spiritual composing was given to many who enriched the church with hymns.. As St.Clement of Alexandria who composed the Praise of the Lord the saviour, St.Athanasios the Apostolic who composed Monogenis St.Didimus the Blind who composed many of the hymns which are still in use until today and others such as the Syrian Mar Avraam who is called the Holy Spirit's Harp and lived with the Cyrenian Sinosius (370 AC) who believed in Christianity, married a Coptic woman, lived in Egypt and composed also.. Also Hillary from Poitier (386) the first Latin Hymn composer then Ambrosius the Prince of Latin Hymns and many others who were influenced by Egyptian music.. It is worth mentioning here that the Coptic Hymns used TODAY are the same which the Coptic scientist Ibn-Kabar Abul-Barakat (Shamsel-Re`assa) mentioned BY NAME in his well known Encyclopaedia in (1320 AC) Of course it was used long before his time..
Some Hebrew influence (Jewish Synagogues Music) came from the Triumphant Jews of Alexandria (Theprapieuta)
- Some hymns were added by HH Pope Kyrollos IV from the Byzantine church as Ton Sina, Tolithos, Ei Parthenos and others.. We should say that the last section of the Liturgy's confession was slightly affected by the Greek..
The Coptic Church is a Musical One:
The Coptic church is a pioneer musical church.. as Egypt was the most civilised country in all arts and cultures at the time of Christianity entrance in Egypt.. As the ex-dean of Arabic Literature Prof.Dr.Taha Hussein said:
+ Each time we say that each word, even each letter said inside the church wall day and night has it's inspired music..
+ The Coptic Church is distinguished among all the world's churches by this huge amount of hymns which represents the profoundest memory of humanity's inspiring music belonging to tens of musical races different in influence and strength..
+ The Coptic Church uses some hymns only once or twice a year as Gholghotha Tai Shori, Ti shory, Pek ethronos and others which proves the richness of church music..
+ The wonderful influence of these hymns, specially the Requiem Hymns whose origins return back to Osirian Worship..
+ The Coptic Church has consecrated a whole month calling it the Praise Month in which, Copts spent nights until dawn of the next day praising.. It is known as Kiahk Month after which were called the Kiahkian Praises known to rural people as 7&4 or (Sab3a warba3a)
Coptic Liturgies:
Concerning the used liturgies in the Coptic Church it is the Cyrillian Mass. It is St.Mark Mass, considered the second mass after St.James' called the brother of Christ.. St.Mark wrote it specially for Egyptians whom he preached.. It's tunes and hymns were composed in Pure Egyptian Style..
Therefore two privileges met and conceived this worship liturgical inheritance accumulated since Adam till Christ through St.Mark.. In St.Mark's house, the Lord made the Lord celebrated the first mass in history AND This mass is the most wonderful worship inheritance world-wide gathering the most beautiful, artistic & cultural inheritance in Ancient Egypt..
+ The Cyrillian Mass remained the only prayed one until the 6th century HH Pope Cyril I "Column of Faith" (430 AC) was the one who organised and after whom it was named..
+ We are lucky that the oldest hymns of this mass are still transcribed as the Introduction (Prelude) Hymn, the praises (Awashy), the commemoration of Saints, the (Tarhim), the Ayoub Hymn, Al-3atika and all of them will be released to see light very soon..
+ The Liturgy scholars and specially Gregory Dex had proved in his book: "The shape of liturgy" that this Mass is the oldest one although it is different.. That also is a point proving its antiquity.
+ As these hymns represent the main squeleton of the Cyrillian Mass, they do really represent the Ancient Coptic hymn form and aspects.. Scientists do assure that this mass was the source and origin of other liturgies and other services such as the offering of incense and the Lakkan, etc. Further more, both other liturgies took the same Tarhim Part, the commemoration of saints and some Awashies.. It is known that this mass is used in fasts because of its length and the nature of its tunes..
Gregorian Mass:
It was named after St.Gregory the Theologos, the nsinsian.. Its text is foreign but music is pure Egyptian
Basilian Mass:
It was named after the Great St.Basil, Bishop of Cesarae Kabadoc in Turkie, its text is foreign but his music is all pure Egyptian style except the last part (The confession) is slightly influenced by the Byzantine style..
Modern Transcription of Coptic Hymns:
- In 1927, I travelled to England and had the chance to meet Prof.Ernst Newlandsmith, professor in London Royal Music Academy.. He is a famous composer.. He visited Egypt and transcribed all the Coptic Heritage 1928-1936.. We chose Mlm.Mikhail Gerges El-Batanony (died 1957) who was the Archpsaltos in the Great St.Mark Cathedral (Ezbekia)..
- In 1954, a group of people, interested in Coptology, gave lectures in many Coptic fields at the Yusabian Hall (Ezbekia) as Prof.Aziz Sorial, Prof.Morad Kamel, Prof.Sami Gabra and Prof.Zaher Riad.. That was the first seed for the construction of the Institute of Coptic Studies (ICS) at 1955.. where I was responsible for the Music & Hymn Department and moved everything there of the primary studio I had already made in Virgin Mary COC, Kasriet El-Rihan in Old Cairo.. I elaborated it at the ICS and began recording the hymns and all the Church services with Mlm.Mikhail's voice and then published in more talented voices in Cassette Tapes.. The last tape is Kiahk's.. Therefore the number of tapes achieved are 54 tape..
- In 1970, I invited the scientist Margerit Toth to co-operate in achieving St.Basil's Mass transcription which Prof.Newlandsmith had prepared only responses and the first part in each priest (solo) part.. The work lasted until everything was accomplished, all the mass with hymns in Musical notation with the Coptic, English and Arabic text.. It is now in the process of being printed..
- In 1992, I offered all my works to the American Congress Library, Washington DC to be kept over generations using the latest technology..
( Akhbar El-Adab: Literature News Magazine - January 7th, 1995)
Shenouda Mamdouh
Copyright © 1996, Shenouda Mamdouh, Last Updated - 7/3/96