Cappella Romana is one of the Pacific Northwest’s few professional chamber vocal ensembles. It has a special commitment to mastering the Slavic and Byzantine repertories in their original languages, thereby making accessible to the general public two great musical traditions that are little known in the West.

The selections of “Angelic Light: Music from Eastern Cathedrals” feature both liturgical and para-liturgical works, seamlessly moving from ancient chant melodies to compositions by some of the world’s most notable composers working in the tradition today including Rev. Dr. Ivan Moody, Peter Michaelides and Tikey Zes.

Song selection and sequence from Ellen Holmes (producer of the Hearts of Space Records’ Sacred Treasures series)

Visit Cappella Romana online at cappellaromana.org.

1. Lord I Have Cried: First Mode
2. Resurrectional Stichera: First Mode
3. Today Hades Doth Cry Out, Stichera of Holy Saturday; Plagal Fourth Mode
4. Great Moses, Doxastikon of Holy Saturday: Plagal Second Mode
5. The Universal Glory, Dogmatic Theotokion: First Mode
6. O Joyous Light: Second Mode
7. Hymn of the Three Youths: First Mode
8. As Many of You as Were Baptized, Instead of Trisagion Hymn: First Mode
9. Epistle Reading
10. Arise, O God, The Great Prokeimenon: Grave Mode
11. Gospel Reading
12. Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, Instead of Cherubic Hymn: Plagal First Mode
13. In Thee Who Art Full of Grace, Megalynarion: Plagal Fourth Mode
14. The Lord Awoke as One That Sleepeth, Communion Hymn: First Mode
15. Remember Us Also, O Compassionate One, Post-Communion Hymn: Plagal Second Mode

This selection of hymns from Great Lent and Pascha includes a total of 32 tracks, including “Christ Is Risen,” and thus presents a cross section of the hymns of the season. Beginning with “Waters of Babylon” only heard in the first three Sundays, the recording moves through the season presenting representative hymns, many of which are not included in typical recordings. Music and text of the recording is available from the producer. Sung in English, limited liner notes, no hymn text included. Length 77:55.

Recorded by St. Tikhon’s Mission Choir in 2011.
Click select tracks for a sample!

Track List:
1. Psalm 103 (Valaam Chant)
2. Vouchsafe O Lord (Optina Hermitage Chant)
3. First Antiphon (Georgian Chant)
4. Second Antiphon (Georgian Chant)
- Only Begotten Son
5. The Beatitudes (Znamenny Chant)
6. Trisagion (17th C. Russian Polyphony
7. The Cherubic Hymn (Znamenny)
8. Anaphora (Znamenny)
9. The Angel Cried (In Slavonic)
10. Sunday Communion Hymn (St. John Koukouzelis)
11. Of thy Mystical Supper (Znamenny Chant)
12. Receive the body of Christ (Ancient Chant)
13. Behold the Bridegroom Comes at Midnight (Kievan Chant)
14. The Wise Thief (Trio, Kiev Caves Melody)
15. Thy Bridal Chamber (Kievan Chant)
16. Many Years (Moscow Chant)
17. Many Years (Common Chant)
18. Psalm 103 (St. Michael’s Hermitage Chant)

All tracks are chanted in Arabic by Rana Nassour-Derbaly, recorded in August of 2008.

Rana Nassour-Derbaly was born in Latakia, Syria and began learning Byzantine Chant from a very young age. Early on she was recognized for her angelic voice and her talent for music. Rana studied hymnography for six years under the direction of Father Boulos Yazege, now Metropolitan of Aleppo, Syria. Afterwards she continued studying under Father Boulos’ brother, Father (John) Youhanna Yazege, now bishop of the Monastery of St George in Amar El Hosn, and former dean of the St John of Damascus Institute of Theology, Balamand University. In all, Rana has studied Syro-Byzantine music for 15 years and is well versed in the reading and technical interpretation of this music and its principles. In 1995, Rana married George Derbaly and the couple moved to the United States shortly thereafter. They have two children Anna, and Spiro.

Byzantine Hymns of the Nativity, SEM Vol. 10

Byzantine Music in the New World – “Orthodox Saints”

Cappella Romana offers two CDs in its latest release: a groundbreaking collection of medieval Byzantine chant from the Abbey of Grottaferrata, located in the suburban hills of Rome. Led by virtuoso cantor Ioannis Arvanitis, Cappella Romana recaptures the artistic vibrancy of medieval Italy’s Greek minority with ecstatic 13th-century chants for St. Benedict, the monastery’s founders St. Bartholomew and St. Nilos, and for the feast of Pentecost.   Two CDs (CD1: The Founders of Grottaferrata; CD2: The Feast of Pentecost).