Two Recordings of Syriac Liturgical Music

Via a friend’s facebook page, I stumbled across these links to recordings made in 2011, both of Vespers in Syriac Orthodox monasteries in Turkey. Very sadly, the occasion for which they were posted was an article in Newsweek about the Islamic persecution and dispersal of the Christian communities which have kept this musical tradition alive for so many centuries; the Mor Gabriel monastery was established at the end of the 4th century, and the Mor Hananyo (St Ananias) at the end of the fifth.

Vespers in the Monastery of Mor Hananyo (also known as “The Saffron Monastery” from the color of its stone. The Turkish version of this nickname, “Deyrulzafaran,” is the name used on the website where these links are posted.)

The Mor Hananyo Monastery (image from Wikipedia)

Vespers in the Monastery of Mor Gabriel

Christmas Lessons & Carols at Farm Street for Aid to the Church in Need

Following Aid to the Church in Need's Advent Carol Service which took place at St Mary Moorfields, London, last week, is a Christmas Carol Service, also organised by ACN. This will take place at the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street on Wednesday 10 December at 7pm and the celebrant will be Fr Dominic Robinson SJ. The service will be held by candlelight and amongst the readers will be Lord Alton of Liverpool. The Schola of the London Oratory School will be accompanied by brass and the organ will be played by Peter Stevens, Assistant Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral. There will be testimonies from the Syrian and Iraqi communities, and the retiring collection will go towards ACN's work in those troubled regions. The Advent Carol Service was very well attended (see photo here) and it is hoped that the church at Farm Street will also be full. The photo in the poster below was taken at ACN's Lenten Service at Farm Street earlier this year. For details of Aid to the Church in Need's events, how to donate and their online shop, please visit the ACN website.

A service of Lenten Music and Meditations in London

A service of Lenten Music and Meditations will take place at Farm Street Church in London on Tuesday 8 April 2014 at 7pm. The service will focus on the suffering of Christians in Syria and is being organised by Aid to the Church in Need, the eminent Catholic Charity which does such important work worldwide, supporting the Church in places where Christians are subjected to persecution and oppression. The service will include music sung by the Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School, and there will be talks given by Lord Alton and ACN's John Pontifex. There will be a collection in aid of children and families who have lost their homes as a result of the conflict in Syria. If you are unable to attend but would like to donate to this cause, you can do so here.

Carols for the suffering Church in Syria

There will be a Carol Service this Wednesday at 7pm at St Mary Moorfields Church in London to raise money for Aid to the Church in Need's appeal for the Church in Syria. Admission is free with a retiring collection.