Music of the Monastery

At the Monastery of Saint John of San Francisco, our activity revolves around the services. In the early days of our brotherhood, we only had enough voices in our choir to keep a simple melody going. Gradually we have been able to add some harmony and now can sing four parts. In the spirit of monastic simplicity, we often keep it to two- or three-part harmony.

Many Orthodox parishes and missions understand with not having enough voices to sing all the parts presented in much of the music available. Although our inherited tradition at the monastery is Russian, we have tried to get away from the chord-progression driven Church music of the 19th Century Imperial Court and into a more melodic chant-like repertoire, based on the ancient Traditions of the Church. The links below will lead you to English settings we use, derived from Znammeny, Valaam , Kievan, Byzantine, and Carpatho-Russian chant.

In addition, we've posted some original pieces, composed for English. Orthodox music has always taken a supporting role in relation to the liturgical text. When working with borrowed melodies of foreign traditions (e.g. Greek or Slavonic) and translated texts, one can run into many difficulties and usually the text suffers unnatural delivery. Our hope is that with time, an organic American Orthodox musical tradition will emerge that is rooted in the richness and variety that has been passed on to us.

NOTE: Most of the arrangements here were done for our choir of four men, and therefore reflect this in the voicing and staff arrangment. Some have been modified for SATB and other mixed voices.

Music for Divine Liturgy
Great Litany. Arrangement based on Archimandrite Matthew's 4-part Litany translated from the Slavonic	For Trio (Bass, Tenor Soprano) For Trio in the same octave (3 women's voices or 3 men's voices)
O Come Let us Worship (Hymn during Little Entrance)	Znamenny Chant, Tone 2 (two-part)
Common Troparia & Kontakia used at our monastery	Steadfast Protectress (Kievan Tone 6; 2 or 3-part)
Trisagion	Kievan (3-part)
As Many as have been baptized	For use in Hierarchical Liturgy A combination of the traditional 4-part Russian version with Byzantine sung by small group or trio done with the repetitions required for serving with a bishop.
Prokeimena	Daily Prokeimena (Znamenny; 2-part) Sunday Liturgy Prokeimena (Znamenny; 2-part)
Alleluia	Znamenny in the 8 tones (2-part)
Cherubika	Sophronskaya (2-part) Georgian Melody "Thou art the vine" (3-part) Monk Martin (3-part) Russian Athonite (3-Part) Russian Athonite (4-Part)
It is Truly Meet, All of Creation Rejoices and others [what the Greeks call Anti-Axion (estin) and the Slavs Zadostojnik: done in place of It is Truly Meet on feasts.	It is Truly Meet (Tonus Americanus Setting by Monk Martin; 3-part) All of Creation--Carpatho Russian (4-part)
Anaphora	Byzantine Plagal Tone 1 (melody + ison) Christmas Anaphora (to the special melody: Proceed Angelic Powers; 4-part) Trubochev Adapted from the Slavonic (2-part) Anaphora (3-part) TTB Monk Martin Anaphora (4-part) SATB Monk Martin
Lord's Prayer	Setting by Monk Martin (3-part)
Koinonika (Communion Hymns)	Collection of the daily Koinonika (2 & 3-part, mixed sources) The eyes of all look to Thee (An ancient communion hymn for any occasion; set to music by Monk Martin)
Various Litanies	Litany for Catechumens & Faithful (3-part) Based on Kievan Chant, the litany for the faithful is elongated to be sung when a priest is serving alone w/o a deacon.
Liturgy Ending	3 part trio for men or women Monk Martin

 

Matins
Prokeimena	Sunday Matins Prokeimena (Znamenny)
From My Youth (Antiphon in Tone 4 for Great Feasts)	Valaam Chant (monophonic) Solovki Chant
Let Every Breath Praise the Lord	Znamenny Chant, all 8 tones (2-part)
Irmoi from the Supplicatory Canon to the Theotokos	Kievan (3-part)
Magnificat	Znammeny melody, 3-part harmony
Daily Exapostilaria	Monday--the angels
Holy is the Lord	Znamenny Chant, all 8 tones (2-part)
Most Blessed art Thou, Tone 2	Kievan Chant (3-part)
Great Doxology	Valaam Chant (2-part)
Resurrectional Troparia done at end of Sunday Matins	Znamenny Chant (2-part)

 

Vespers
Psalm 103 (Proemial Psalm)	Valaam Chant and "ison"
Blessed is the Man	Valaam Chant and "ison"
Lord I Call using the OCA translation, with two-part harmony as we sing them at the monastery	Kievan (all 8 tones) Valaam Tone 1 Valaam Tone 2 Valaam Tone 3 Valaam Tone 4 Valaam Tone 5 Valaam Tone 6 Valaam Tone 7 Valaam Tone 8
O Gladsome Light O Joyous Light	Valaam Chant with "ison" Setting by Monk Martin (TTB)
Song of Simeon "Now lettest Thou Thy Servant..."	Setting by Monk Martin (SATB) Same for 3 parts (TTB)
Rejoice O Virgin	Znamenny Melody, 3-4 parts (TTBB)

 

Funeral/Pannikhida
Canon Refrains Used in Pannikhidas and funerals	3-Part Arrangement
Funereal Evlogitaria	Russian Melody 3-Part
Funereal Trisagion (Holy God)	Traditional (3-part) Setting by Monk Martin Men's Trio Setting by Monk Martin SATB
Give Rest with the Just	Kievan Chant; 3-Part
I Called to Mind the Prophet: The Hymn of St. John of Damascus in Tone 5 (Also sung at the aposticha for daily vespers on Friday of Tone 5 week)	Carpatho-Russian Arrangement by Archbishop Job; 3-Part
Memory Eternal	Traditional, arranged for men's quartet

 

Lent
Open to me the Doors of Repentence	Valaam Chant with "ison"
Lenten Lord's Prayer for Weekdays	Carpatho Russian? (4-part from St. Nicholas in San Anselmo) Znamenny (2-part)
The Father's Embrace (Sessional Hymn for the Prodigal Son and also used at the tonsure of a monk or nun)	Valaam Chant with "ison"
O Lord of Hosts (Great Compline)	Valaam Chant unison with partial "ison"
Lenten Litanies (All Znamenny)	Great and Small Litany Augmented Litany Litany of Fervent Supplication
Alleluias with Triadica in 8 tones (Daily Matins)	Znamenny Tone 1 Znamenny Tone 2 Znamenny Tone 3 Znamenny Tone 4 Znamenny Tone 5 Znamenny Tone 6 Znamenny Tone 7 Znamenny Tone 8
Photagogica in the 8 tones (Daily Matins)	Znamenny Tone 1 Znamenny Tone 2 Znamenny Tone 3 Znamenny Tone 4 Znamenny Tone 5 Znamenny Tone 6 Znamenny Tone 7 Znamenny Tone 8
Daily Vespers: Rejoice O Virgin	Traditional Russian Chant (3-part)

 

Miscellaneous
O My Most Blessed Queen (prayer from the Supplicatory Canon, which we sing at Compline)	Krasnogorsk Monastery Chant, SATB arranged by Monk Martin

 

Holy Week
Kontakion Settings for Holy Week (simple two-part)	Holy Monday Kontakion Holy Tuesday Kontakion Holy Thursday Kontakion Holy Friday Exapostilarion
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence This hymn replaces the Cherubikon during the Vesperal Liturgy on Holy Saturday.	Let All Mortal Flesh SATB Let All Mortal Flesh Men's Trio Let All Mortal Flesh Women's Trio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE: STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Please check back. If you have something you'd like to share, email it to our Canonarch
at: frmartin + (at symbol) + monasteryofstjohn.org (Pdf format is best.)

The music offered here is free for use in Church services. Changes in the wording or translation may be made to suit the needs of your parish or requirements of your hierarchy.

 

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