Notes

The Syriac translation of the Latin chant "Gloria"

This video takes us to a particular era in the history of Syriac chants and liturgy in South India. The Portuguese missionaries introduced some of the Latin-rite practices in the Syro Malabar liturgy. The singing of “Gloria,” during the liturgy of the Word, was one of them. Probably, Bishop Roz, S. J.(1559-1624), the first bishop of the St. Thomas Catholics, did the translation (the Bishop knew Syriac and Malayalam). The chant went of use in 1962 when the Syro Malabar Church vernacularized its liturgy. The revised liturgy did not include Malayalam translation of the Gloria. Syriac choirs from the period of transition do remember the melodies. We have a few recordings of this chant that are still on the editing table. In this video, Fr. Kalayil hints at a melody that Fr. Sylvester Thattil, CMI composed. Fr. Kalayil recalls that this melody was part of the celebration of Qurbana during the Syriac era. It also means that there were many compositional activities in Kerala during that era. Future historians of the Syriac music and liturgy in Kerala may have to take note of this piece of information. Fr. Albert Saldanha, S. J.(1896-1975, This video takes us to a special era in the history of Syriac chants and liturgy in South India. The Portuguese missionaries introduced some of the Latin-rite practices in the Syro Malabar liturgy. The singing of “Gloria” was one of them. Probably, Bishop Roz, S. J., the first bishop of the St. Thomas Catholics made the translation (the Bishop knew Syriac and Malayalam). The chant went of use in 1962 when the Syro Malabar Church vernacularized its liturgy. The revised liturgy did not include Malayalam translation of the Gloria. Syriac choirs from the period of transition do remember the melodies. We have a few recordings of this chant that are still on the editing table. In this video, Fr. Kalayil hints at a melody that Fr. Sylvester Thattil, CMI composed. Fr. Kalayil recalls that this melody was part of the celebration of Qurbana during the Syriac era. It also means that there were many compositional activities in Kerala during that era. Future historians of the Syriac music and liturgy in Kerala may have to take note of this piece of information. Fr. Albert Saldanha, S. J.(1896-1975, https://christianmusicologicalsociety...) included the transcription of six melodies of this chant in his “Syriac Malayalam Hymnal” (1937, https://christianmusicologicalsociety...). The melody that Fr. Kalayil refers to is not part of them. ) included the transcription of six melodies of this chant in his “Syriac Malayalam Hymnal” (1937, https://christianmusicologicalsociety...). The melody that Fr. Kalayil refers to is not part of them.