The School of Ecclesiastic Music

The Hymns of Hymns

A concert performed by SEM Choir (Lebanon) and Idimelon Choir (Greece)

A concert performed in the Concert Hall of Thessaloniki (Greece), by the choir of the School of Ecclesiastic Music in Mount Lebanon (SEM, Lebanon) and the IDILEMON Byzantine Choir (Greece), on the occasion of the DIMITRIA international festival - 2006

"How good and how pleasant it is for brethern to dwell together in unity...". And how good it is for brothers from diverse ethnics and countries to meet for the first time, gathered by the Spirit, in the unison of the same melody and the same tone, as if they were taught by the same teacher although everyone sings with his native language. Despite their spread accross the whole world, Orthodox beleivers meet to glorify God in united tones, as a sign of their inttegral unity and thte unity of their faith and message.

This recording recalls the unison of psalters' voices of Mount-Lebanon Orthodox Choir (The School of Ecclesiastic Music) - Lebanon and the IDIMELON Byzantine Choir - Thessaloniki, Greece, in a concert that gathered them within the scope of the international DIMITRIA Festival in 2006.

Our success story

We were invited to participate in the Dimitria festival in Thessaloniki.

We performed there with another Byzantine Greek Professional choir called IDIMELON.

After that concert it became clear that SEM’s level of professionalism became international without any doubt.

Read the full story...

1.	Ainos - Verses of the Ainos in mode 1	(02:48)
2.	Keragaria - In the Varis (7th) mode. Melody by Saint John of Damas	(05:21)
3.	Kanon of the Holy Friday - In mode 6	(02:36)
4.	Kondakion of the Akathist Service - In mode 8	(05:15)
5.	Inna Moussa Al Azim - Doxastikhon from the Holy Friday Night (Saturday's Matins) Service. Music composition by Indrawos Mouaikel, the first chanter of St. George church in Beirut. A model of Mouaikel's work in the 6th mode chromatic	(03:38)
6.	Ifrahi Ayyatouha l Malika - Anti Axion Estin of the first Monday after Pascha - Monday of the Holy Ghost. Music composition by Dimitrios El-Murr, the first chanter in the Antiochian chair. A model of El-Murr's work in the 4th mode Leyetos. (It reflects the oriental musical influence in some of El-Murr's Byzantine compositions)	(02:38)
7.	Inna Rrabba - Idiomela from the Holy Sunday Night (Monday's Matins) Service. An original musical composition by Dimitrios El-Murr developed by Joseph Yazbeck (SEM conductor) following the model of Constantinos Pringos (First Chanter in Constantinopolis), in the 1st mode	(03:42)
8.	Inna l Moutawaghila - Doxastikon from the Holy Wednesday Night (Thursday's Matins) Service. A musical composition by Dimitrios El-Murr developed by Joseph Yazbeck, in the 6th mode	(03:59)
9.	Inna l Malak - Anti Axion Estin of Holy Pascha Sunday. Music composition by Dimitrios El-Murr, in the 1st mode	(03:36)
10.	Ya Abida Rab - Polieleon in the 8th mode. Original music composition by Khourmouziou Khartofilakos. Adapted to the Arabic text by Joseph Yazbeck	(06:32)
11.	Doxa si - Doxology in the 1st and 2nd modes. A music composition following the "Shouri" oriental modal structure through Byzantine traditional music formulas. Composed in Arabic and Greek by Joseph Yazbeck	(07:27)
12.	Evloyi Psykinmou - Typika in the 8th mode. Composed by Yaanni Lampadarios (left Chanter in Constantinopolis). The Arabic verses are composed by Joseph Yazbeck following the same Greek model	(05:08)
13.	Ayios O Theos - Trisagion with a prolonged Dinamis and Kratima (Terirem) composed in the 1st mode by Kiriakou Loannidy. The fist Kratima is composed by Joseph Yazbeck	(08:23)
14.	Psalter - Psalter of the funerals. Improvised melody	(05:11)
15.	Tina Gar Sin - Anti Axion Estin of the Liturgy of Saint Vassilios. Text written by Saing John Damaskinos. The composer of the melody is anonyme yet we know that this melody dates back to the 12th century	(05:58)
16.	Dievkhon - The traditional ending of Byzantine Services in thte monasteries. Chanted during the service of the first vespers of the Lent. An anonymous old musical composition, in the 5th mode developed analytically by Joseph Yazbeck and performed by the two choirs simultaneously	(03:38)

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