Australia’s first recording of hymns and psalms from the Greek Orthodox ecclesiastic tradition in Byzantine music, aptly named “Byzantium”, has been re-released more than 18 years after it first made its debut where it sold out within weeks.
Performed by the Australian Byzantine Choir and recorded live in the crypt of St Mary’s Cathedral Hyde Park in Sydney Australia, the 13-track CD album comes with an 8-page booklet in English with historical notes on each piece. Tracks include: ΑΓΝΗ ΠΑΡΘΕΝΕ, ΕΞΕΔΥΣΑΝ ΜΕ, ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΑΝΕΣΤΗ, ΘΕΟΤΟΚΕ ΠΑΡΘΕΝΕ, ΤΗ ΥΠΕΡΜΑΧΩ.
“I am certain that all who hear this CD will experience more than a few moments of spiritual recreation. Indeed, for those who belong to the Orthodox tradition, there will also be a sense of pride in the Lord that young members of the Church know how to bring the riches of Tradition in such a lively way to our often confused and culturally disorientated world,”says His Eminence, Archbishop Stylianos, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia.
According to the producer, in this re-released limited edition of BYZANTIUM by the Australian Byzantine Choir, “the music lover will experience the stirring beauty and distinctive character of the Byzantine chant; a legacy which has continued for more than a millennium with unfading significance until the present.
“The strictly vocal repertoire will give the music lover a glimpse of the demanding and complex nature of the music.
Byzantine music exists as both secular (instrumental) and religious (strictly vocal), inheriting from the ancient Greeks a musical philosophy and a complex musical script system (Parasemantics).
The music and art have been kept alive throughout the centuries, thanks to their custodian, the [Greek] Christian Orthodox Church.”
The album is currently in CD format but will be made available on iTunes later in 2019.
*Readers can purchase their copy here.
