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Samohlasen

 

A Proposed Method for Chanting the Samohlasen Tones

 

This approach relies on the repetition of precise patterns which are found in the Prostopinije.  It is intended as a general approach for chanting a given text.  Common texts, such as the Our Father or the beginning of the Lamp-lighting Psalm 140 of Vespers that are  chanted to these tones, do not necessarily follow these precise patterns, although they  exhibit the same modal (tonal) quality for each tone as given here.

 
Note: Not all the melodic phrases of  a given tone example in the Prostopinije are necessarily used to construct the patterns given below.  Only those phrases that are part of a regular, repeating pattern are used.  The phrases that are not used will be denoted eventually.  While such custom phrases are proper to the tone and can be applied to a given text, they are not used here since they do not fit the regular patterns that form the basis of this approach. 

  

Based on the Prostopinije, the tone is broken down into its component phrases, and the pattern for each phrase of the tone is given.  The tone is formed for a given text by repeating a set of phrases A, B, C; the number of phrases differs depending on the tone (see below).  There is also an ending phrase, Z.  In general, there may be a second ending phrase, z, and one or more introductory phrases, X and x.  The text is chanted by forming the phrases

(X-x)-[A-B-C]-(z)-Z

The set [A-B-C] is repeated as necessary until the last phrase of text is reached.  Exit from the repeated pattern to the final phrase Z is made from any of the component phrases A, B, or C.


Stichera
Tone 1 [A-B]-Z
Tone 2 [A-B-C]-Z
Tone 3 [A-B-C]-Z
Tone 4 X-x-[A-B-C]-Z
Tone 5 [A-B-C]-Z
Tone 6 X-[A-B-C]-Z
Tone 7 [A-B]-Z
Tone 8 [A-B-C]-Z

PDF Booklet with the phrases for the 8 tones

 

A simple method for parsing and marking the text is given such that, the melodic phrases being known to the cantor and congregation, the text can be sung in a consistent manner.

PARSING TEXT to fit the phrases of the 8 tones.

/ ascending to the reciting note 

\ descending from the reciting note

Thus the recitation note is bound by some occurrence of the marks / and \.

bold denotes two notes sung on the one syllable

italic denotes two (or more) syllables/words sung on the same note - i.e. an extra (repeated) note is added to the pattern

_ indicates the ending phrase. After the introductory phrases ( X or x), A B C are repeated as required until the last phrase for which (z)-Z is sung.

 

AN EXAMPLE 

From the Pentecostarion, 

Pentecostarion

Compiled and adapted from
approved sources
by
THE LITURGICAL COMMISSION
of
THE SISTERS OF THE ORDER OF ST. BASIL THE GREAT
Uniontown, Pennsylvania 15401

Week of  Pentecost, Thursday  Vespers, page 386.

AT PSALM 140 - the first sticheron

Tone 4

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