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How did cantor Mikhael memorise all the hymns of the church????

hany58hany58
edited December 1969 in Hymns Discussion
Hi All,
I always wonder about something, & I always have this question in my mind.
How did Cantor Mikhael El batanoony memorise all the hymns of the church while he was a blind man & by the age of only 19?????? Don't you think that this is a type of a miracle or something? I mean I can understand that some people can memorise hymns easily, but how can a 19 year old guy memorise all these hymns?? according to what Cantor Tawfik say in his interview, he says that Cantor Mikhael used to know many other hymns that are not available nowadays becuase he didn't have the time to teach therm to his students & he said that one of these hymns is the long alleluia introduction to the annual psalm 150 of distribution. mmm.................Just wondering that's all, what do you think?

Comments

  • minatasgeelminatasgeel
    that was his gift and what made him the great cantor he is
  • ilovesaintmarkilovesaintmark
    Truly a wonder!
  • TITLTITL
    Is it true he only listened to the hymn once before he memorized it?
  • minatasgeelminatasgeel
    [quote author=TITL link=topic=11333.msg136702#msg136702 date=1303955146]
    Is it true he only listened to the hymn once before he memorized it?

    many stories confirm that but not all the time.
  • hany58hany58
    Yea I heard so many sotries about that as well....but I just think that it's a true miracle really...
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    I saw a documentary the other day about two sisters who are autistic savants. They could remember everything about their lives. Everything. What they had eaten on any day, what day of the week it was, and particularly when any record had been released.

    God has made the human mind a wonderful thing that we usually fill with rubbish and struggle to occupy with spiritual things. What a great grace and gift it must have been to so many cantors to have opened their minds to the recollection of the hymns of the Church.

    But monks also would memorise all the psalms, and much of the Scriptures. The Fathers often quote passages from memory.

    I do wonder, and we have discussed this elsewhere, how much blessing would be ours if we memorised more. And perhaps how much easier it would be to remember things if we were in the habit of remembering things.
  • TITLTITL

    I do wonder, and we have discussed this elsewhere, how much blessing would be ours if we memorised more. And perhaps how much easier it would be to remember things if we were in the habit of remembering things.

    *ahem the Gospel of St. Mark ahem*
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    Exactly. Once I had memorised the Gospels of St Mark and St John I found the memorisation of the Book of Romans much easier, and now the Book of Isaiah is proceeding quite quickly.
  • TITLTITL
    I thought you quit? That's why I quit!!

    Are you done with St. Mark, John, and Romans? I don't think that's fair :P
  • TITLTITL
    By the way, I'm still on Chapter 1 ;D

    Just when I think I have it memorized, I forget it.
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