I’d love to see somebody take the great liturgical hymns/prayers of the Byzantine Church and set them to modern verse and music that could be sung in the Western Church.
The troparia and kontakia of the Eastern Church are so theologically rich. Take this theotokion, or hymn to the Mother of God, for example:
Tone 1: When Gabriel announced to thee, “Rejoice!”, O Virgin, /
the Master of all became incarnate within thee, the holy tabernacle, at his cry, /
as the righteous David said. /
Thou wast shown to be more spacious than the heavens, /
having borne thy Creator. /
Glory to Him Who made His abode within thee! /
Glory to Him Who came forth from thee! //
Glory to Him Who hath set us free by thy birthgiving.
Tone 2: All of thy most glorious mysteries are beyond comprehension, O Theotokos; /
for, thy purity sealed and thy virginity intact, /
thou art known to be a true Mother, /
having given birth unto God. //
Him do thou entreat, that our souls be saved.
Tone 3: We hymn thee who hast mediated the salvation of our race, O Virgin Theotokos; /
for thy Son and our God, /
accepting suffering on the Cross in the flesh He had received of thee, /
hath delivered us from corruption, //
in that He is the Lover of mankind.
Tone 4: The mystery hidden from before the ages /
and unknown even to the angels, /
through thee, O Theotokos, hath been revealed to those on earth: /
God incarnate in unconfused union, /
Who willingly accepted the Cross for our sake /
and thereby raising up the first-formed man, //
hath saved our souls from death.
Tone 5: Rejoice, impassible gate of the Lord! /
Rejoice, rampart and protection of those who have recourse unto thee! /
Rejoice, haven untouched by storms, /
thou that knowest not wedlock, /
who gavest birth in the flesh to thy Creator and God! /
Fail not in thy supplications //
for those who hymn and venerate thy birthgiving!
Tone 6: Gideon foretold thy conception, /
and David proclaimed thy birthgiving, O Theotokos; /
for as the dew descended upon the fleece, /
so did the Word descend into thy womb, /
and thou, O holy ground, /
without seed didst put forth Christ our God, /
the salvation of the world, //
O thou who art full of grace.
Tone 7: As thou art the treasury of our resurrection, O all-hymned one, /
lead up from the pit and abyss of transgression those who trust in thee, /
for thou who gavest birth to our Salvation /
hast saved those who are subject to sin. /
O thou who before giving birth wast Virgin, and during thy birthgiving wast virgin, //
thou remainest a Virgin even after giving birth.
Tone 8: O Good One, Who for our sake wast born of the Virgin /
and, having endured crucifixion, cast down death by death, /
and as God revealed the resurrection: /
disdain not that which Thou hast fashioned with Thine own hand. /
Show forth Thy love for mankind, O Merciful One; /
accept the Theotokos who gave Thee birth and prayeth for us; //
and save Thy despairing people, O our Savior!
Isn’t that so much more inspiring than so much modern Church music. The problem is the separation of praise from theology. The Church prays as it believes and believes as it prays (Lex credendi, lex orandi). If all our hymns never raise our minds beyond “God is really good and it’s fun to praise Him” then our worship doesn’t really raise us any closer to God in our minds. It might raise us in our emotions, but that’s not something that lasts.
It’s a very Protestant thing to think of the ‘teaching’ element of worship being limited to the homily. The Word teaches, the Eucharist teaches, and the worship teaches.
If only I had some musical skill, I might try my own hand at some hymn-writing. As it is, I’m practically tone-deaf, so probably best if I don’t!
