Coptic
Music: From Mothers Chanting to Mlm. Mikhail El-Batanony
Hymns
by Dr. Ragheb
Habashy Moftah (January 7th, 1995)
Music is distinct from other arts, whose
influence fades when they are absent. It is an art where
everyone participates, singing day and night, in both sorrow and
joy. Even when music is not present, a melody remains on
people's lips, sung through the ages.
According to scholars and scientists, Ancient Egyptian music
survives in two forms:
Folk Tradition: This form
persists among Egyptian peasants, especially in the South,
who have lived relatively isolated from external influences.
Their songs and hymns have remained unchanged for ages,
though the lyrics may have evolved. It is believed that
their performance style is likely similar to ancient times.
Coptic Church Hymns: These
hymns are sung in Coptic Churches by cantors and
congregants. Copts, who are Egyptians, inherited their music
from their Ancient Egyptian ancestors. The new Christian
belief did not alter this heritage; instead, it infused
ancient music with new words, preserving its Ancient
Egyptian essence.
Folklore Music: Folklore music
originates from the daily lives of people over millennia. This
continuity is evident because the same factors that inspired
ancient Egyptians to express themselves through song and chant
remain unchanged today. Traditions, customs, environment, and
nature have remained largely constant.
Illona Borsai provides several examples with musical
transcriptions to support this. For instance, a lullaby sung by
mothers is:
"Ho.. Nam, Nam Wadbahlak Goz Hamam Wafarrak hulak ealgiran Oskot, Oskot Wadbahlak Goz Kot Kot.."
Other traditions, such as women wailing at
funerals to help the family mourn and songs sung by sailors and
workers where a leader sings and the group responds, also have
ancient origins.
Coptic Church Music: Borsai asserts that melodic aspects
of unwritten oral music, like folk and Oriental Church melodies,
remain unchanged.
Coptic Church Music's Ancient Egyptian Origins: The
authenticity of Ancient Egyptian music in Coptic hymns is
further evidenced by the differences in music but similarities
in words compared to other churches. For example, Ethiopian
Church music, despite the Ethiopian Church's Coptic origins, is
very different from Coptic music, reflecting their ancient
cultural heritage.
Scientists like Hans Hickman, Egon Wellesz, John Gillespie, and
Dryton note similarities between modern folklore and ancient
chanting. Hickman compared the facial muscles of singers in New
Kingdom Saqqara temple wall paintings to those of Coptic
cantors. Additionally, similarities in melodic and rhythmic
gestures between ancient and modern singers, such as using hand
signs (cheironomy) to guide rhythm and melody, highlight this
continuity.
Music-Worship Relationship: Ancient Egyptians closely
linked music to religion, dedicating it to gods like Osiris,
Horus, and Maysos. Music, considered a heavenly gift, was seen
as harmonious and orderly, surviving only in an environment of
wealth.
Egyptian music, calm by nature, had a holy aspect and was often
performed by priests and clergy. This is depicted in various
sites, including tombs near the Giza pyramids and temples in
Aswan, Luxor, and the Valley of the Kings.
Psalm 150 mentions various musical instruments used to praise
the Lord, interpreted by St. Clement of Alexandria to mean the
entire human body. Consequently, the Coptic Church integrates
music into every aspect of worship, leading to profound
spirituality.
Music Transcription: Ancient frescos reveal that hand
signs determined rhythm speed and that the positions of singers'
lips and heads in drawings and sculptures accurately transcribe
musical notes. This method, known as "lips language" for the
deaf, is considered one of the earliest forms of music
transcription.
Despite this, Coptic music has largely been preserved through
oral tradition, with the notable exception of the "Oxyrinchus
Papyrus" discovered in Bahnasa, Upper Egypt. This 3rd-century
papyrus contains the oldest transcribed Coptic hymn, which
praises the Holy Trinity.
Chanting & Praising Methods: The Coptic Church uses
vocal music in worship, a practice rooted in Ancient Egyptian
tradition. Vocal music, valued for its spiritual transmission
and pure expression, allows all congregants to participate in
worship. St. John Cassian describes various methods of praising,
including solo, antiphonal (two groups intersinging), response
(a group responding to a single person), and group praising, all
of which are integral to Coptic praises.
Sources of Coptic Church Hymns: Early Christians adopted
Ancient Egyptian tunes with Christian texts, as noted by Philo
(1st century). Examples include "Golgotha" and "Pek Ethronos."
The spiritual gift of hymn composition enriched the church with
contributions from figures like St. Clement of Alexandria, St.
Athanasius, and St. Didymus the Blind.
Some Coptic hymns have Hebrew influences from Alexandria's
Jewish community. Additionally, Pope Cyril IV introduced hymns
from the Byzantine church, adding to the Coptic repertoire.
Coptic Church: A Musical Pioneer: The Coptic Church,
inheriting Egypt's rich artistic and cultural legacy, is
renowned for its extensive hymns, which are only used a few
times a year. This musical heritage fosters profound
spirituality and is integral to Coptic worship.
Coptic Liturgies: The primary liturgy in the Coptic
Church is the Cyrillian Mass, written by St. Mark for Egyptians.
Its tunes and hymns reflect ancient Egyptian styles, making it a
unique liturgical heritage.
The Gregorian and Basilian masses, though textually foreign, are
musically Egyptian. Efforts to transcribe and preserve Coptic
hymns have been ongoing, with notable contributions from Prof.
Ernst Newlandsmith and Margerit Toth.
Modern Transcription of Coptic Hymns: In the late 1920s
and 1930s, Prof. Ernst Newlandsmith transcribed Coptic hymns
with the help of Mlm. Mikhail Gerges El-Batanony. The Institute
of Coptic Studies (ICS) continues to record and publish these
hymns. Recent efforts have included transcriptions for the
American Congress Library to preserve this heritage for future
generations.
Recommendations: Coptic music, a precious and ancient
Egyptian art, should be preserved. Universities should establish
Coptic music choirs to standardize and academically study this
unique art form, ensuring its continued relevance and
appreciation.