Search - Byzantine Chant, Soeur Marie Keyrouz :: Chants sacrés de l'Orient (tradition melchite)

The sound of peace

Serpentegena | Montreal, QC Canada | 09/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'll give this record the full 5 because when I first heard it in the store, it brought tears to my eyes.

Sister Marie Keyrouz's voice is pure peace and faith. It is no less grandiose than one of J.S. Bach's cantatas. Ornate chants form winding, exulting paths up into the sky. She captures the essence of worship into sound in a way that might seem unusual to Westerners. I could feel my own spirit join in, and I'm not a practicing Christian.

As for the theme of the record, as you already know, it consists of Melchite liturgical chants dating from the fourth century A.D. Interestingly enough, all the texts are adressed to the Virgin Mary, even though they are destined to be performed at various celebrations. My personal favourite is #9, Inna-l Malak, the Office of Easter.

NOTE to musicians and theorists: the booklet includes the ancient modes(echos) in which the pieces are written. I also recommend this record for supporting research on Judeo-Christian musical traditions, as well as Gregorian Chant, which lists Byzantine religious music as one of its influences."

There is a mystery here...

A | tampa bay | 05/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"--The word, -the sound, -the meaning in the mind of the believer. -The voice of Marie Keyrouz is compelling. --It transports and elevates...though mostly of a subdued nature, there is occasionally a note that is sung quite loudly. ---Except for the first in greek--all the tracks are sung in arabic. --It's unfortunate that the arabic words are not printed in the liner notes as are the full translations in french, english, and german (only the first lines). ---alot of subtle changes in dynamics contibute to make a music that pulls the heart strings, harmonizes the emotions, and brings clarity to the mind.--It should be pointed out that some of this music is a little raw---sounding--- ...if not improvised, ---rather free and spontaeneously rendered."

Heavenly voice

Fadi Boukaram | Beirut, Lebanon / Millbrae CA, USA | 01/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can only say this. I was listening to track 9, "Inna al malak", and I couldn't breathe anymore.



If you wanna "see" a glimpse of what might heaven be, listen to this album"