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Coptic Octoechos Described by Shams al-Ri'asah Abu l-Barakat Ibn Kabar

cyril
edited July 2014 in Coptic Orthodox Church
Anyone have more info on the Eight Tones in the Coptic Orthodox Church?

"The Arabic Christian intellectual Shams al-Ri‘asah Abu al-Barakat Ibn Kabar wrote in ad 1320 that the Arabic term lahn actually meant a musical tone or scale with which each liturgical text would be performed according to its mood, season, or festivity. He goes on to say that there are eight Coptic tones, akin to the notion of Arabic mode or maqam, or the Greek Orthodox liturgical tones."
Carolyn M. Ramzy, "Performing Coptic Expressive Culture" in "The Coptic Christian Heritage: History, Faith and Culture", edited by Lois M. Farag (New York: Routledge 2014) 160-176.

Comments

  • coptic_deacon
    I can only count 7:
    1. Standard aka. Annual
    2. Festive
    3. Kiahk
    4. Lenten Weekdays
    5. Lenten Sundays
    6. Palm Sunday/ Cross
    7. Pathetic aka. Mournful/Solemn

    Have I missed one?
  • cyril
    edited July 2014
    I wonder if the eight tones were used like how the Greeks and Syrians use them? Like how the tones cycle throughout the year even through feasts. 

    The Russians added four voices but the usage is similar to the Greek Typikon:

    Here are the Indian Eight Tones

  • RemnkemiRemnkemi
    My article death extensively with Ibn Kabar's passage of the Octoechos was just published in Coptica 12 (2013), Strategic Intertextuality in a Coptic Description of the Octoechos, pp.57-76. You can contact St Shenouda the Archimandrite Society for information.

    Basically, there is no Octoechos. Ibn Kabar was not describing a custom of the Coptic Church. He was discussing music theory.

    FWIW, the list Copticdeacon gave is not the octoechos described by Ibn Kabar or Vansleb. 
  • cyril
    Rem can you share a link to your article? it would be a joy to read it if it's online.
  • dumbegyptian1dumbegyptian1
    I'm very happy cyril that you are reading this book, both Carolyn Ramzy and Mother Lois Farag are great scholars.  The octoechos is a term in music theory that discusses the eight "church" modes, it is most closely associated with the Byzantine rite.  However the Western church also had eight modes, so did the Syrians, the Greeks, etc.  It seems that Ibn Kabar was attempting to place Coptic music within this standard framework of eight modes.  Ibn Kabar's list of the eight modes as well as Vansleb's can be seen in the article about music in the Coptic Encyclopedia.  There is still much research that is required in the field of Coptic music theory, hopefully in the near future there will be more work done.
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