Title, Duration, Place, Year, Publisher, Dedicated to, Premiere (performer(s), place, date)

THE ANGEL CRIED, Megalynarion of Pascha for SATB choir and Congregation, 4', Chatou, 2007, Schott, to the Glory of God, Celebration of the dedication of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred-Heart, in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, 02.04.08

Performance note 

The refrain - For the glory of the Lord hath dawned upon thee -, is articulated in two sections A and B, each of them successively sang by the Choir and the Congregation (accompanied ad libitum by the Choir). 

Programme note

This setting of the Megalynarion of pascha for SATB choir and congregation, is based on the Byzantine melody (tone 1), developped in syllabic and homorhythmic harmonies. 

The character of the music follows the two dramatic sections of the  text :

1/ « The Angel cried unto her that is full of grace : Rejoice, O pure Virgin, and again I say : Rejoice ! For thy Son is arisen from the tomb on the third day. »

Moderato and solemn, by the Choir alone.

2/ « Shine forth, O shine forth, O new Jerusalem : for the glory of the Lord hath dawned upon thee. Dance now, O Sion, make glad and exult ; and delight thou, O pure Theotokos, in the arising of thine offspring. »

Successively Animando and Allegro, including three different harmonisations of the verse by the Choir alone, « Dance now, O Sion… », to alternate with the refrain « For the glory of the Lord hath dawned upon thee » by the Choir and Congregation.

Naji Hakim