Notes

Syriac chants from the Benediction. Fr. Probus Perumalil, CMI

Fr. Probus Perumalil, CMI (1922-2009) decided to include the hymns of the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in the recording he made of Solemn Qurbana in Syriac. Fr. Probus made this recording on a cassette tape recorder, sometime in 1980. These songs were at the end of side B of the cassette (see notes on Aramaic Project-119). This is the earliest audio sample we have of this category of hymns. Thus, this is yet another golden treasure along with the recording of Solemn Qurbana by the same group. The violinist and the harmonist decided to play two incidental melodies on their respective instruments. The Catholic St. Thomas Christians adopted the ritual of the Benediction from the Roman Catholic rite, probably, soon after the Synod of Udayamperoor (1599). Someone in Kerala, who knew both Latin and Syriac, translated the Latin text into Malayalam and composed new melodies for the translated version. Most probably, Bishop Francis Roz, S. J. (1559-1624) was an active participant in this process. The Benediction in Syriac was part of the Sunday liturgy among the Syro Malabar churches, until the 1960s. Currently, Benediction takes place only on special festival occasions. The accompanying chants are in Malayalam. ( Fr. Albert Saldanha, S. J.) included several Syriac tunes (in staff notation with Syriac text underlay in Malayalam script) for the Benediction in his monumental work, “” (Syriac Malayalam Hymnal).

• AP 4 - Awūn d'waśmayyā [Our Father in heaven]-Track 01- from Qambel Maran: Syriac Chants from South India
• AP 4a - Hallel hallel [Praise, praise] -Track 02
• AP 4b - Iśo māran m'śihā [Lord Jesus Christ] -Track 03
• AP 4c - Mārya kolhōn hāwbai [Lord, all my faults]-Track 04
• AP 4d - B'endān saprā [In the morning] Track 05
• AP 4e - Esthappānōs [St. Stephen] Track 06
• AP 4f - Brīk hannānā¯ [Blessed is the merciful one] - Track 07
• AP 4g - Etpan al slōţā [Turn to the prayer] Track 08
• AP 4h - Tāw n'yaqar [Come, let us honor] Track 09
• AP 4i - Slīwā dahwā lan [The Cross that became for us] Track 10
• AP 4j - O dezdamman īnja [O you who are invited] Track 11
• AP 4k - K'ţāwā rambā [The great book] Track 12
• AP 4l - "Ślām lēk maryam [Hail Mary] Track 13
• AP 4n - Lā tekre lāk [Do not be sorry] Track 16
• AP 4o - B'had min yawmīn [On one of the days] Track 17
• AP 4q - Quryēlaisōn [Lord, have mercy] Track 19-
• AP 4r - Hā qes slīwā [Behold the wood of the Cross] Track 20
• AP 4s - Śanbah leśān [Praise, my tongue] Track 21
• AP 4t - Kollan daśnē [Let us all offer; Syriac of `Pange lingua' by St. Thomas Aquinas] Track 22
• AP 4u - Tā lāk ruhā [Come O Spirit] Track 23
• AP 4v - Ślām lēk [Hail to you Mary] Track 24
• AP 4w - Bar maryam [Son of Mary] Track 25
• AP 4x - Lak mar yawsep.- Track 26.
• AP 4y - "Sabbah l'marya." Track 27
• AP 4z - "Hadmin ire." Track 28
• AP 4aa - "B'eda d'yawman." Track 29
• AP 119 - Solemn Syriac Qurbana . Fr. Probus Perumalil, CMI. A musical treasure.
• AP 119a - A different way of singing Qandisa Alaha (pre 1962 Missal). Fr. Perumalil CMI.
• AP 179 (a)- "Lessons:" secular music in sacred space during the Syriac era.
• AP 252a - A different way of singing Qandisa Alaha (pre 1962 Missal). Fr. Perumalil CMI.