Abuna Takla
Abuna Takla was a nineteenth-century Coptic deacon, teacher, chant collector, and composer who compiled The Services of the Deacon, published in 1859, and transmitted his musical knowledge to seven students.
Also known as: Abūnā Taklā · Takla, Abuna
In brief
Abuna Takla was a nineteenth-century Coptic deacon, teacher, collector of chants, and composer supported by Pope Cyril IV. He compiled The Services of the Deacon, first published in 1859, and trained pupils whose musical tradition passed to Mikhail Girgis al-Batanouny, a central performer in later efforts to record Coptic liturgical music.
Life and musical work
Abuna Takla (Abūnā Taklā) was a Coptic deacon and teacher who lived in the second half of the nineteenth century. The musicologist Ragheb Moftah described him as a teacher “with a good voice and keen ear.”1
He was blind and taught in the school adjacent to the patriarchal Church of Saint Mark before Pope Cyril IV appointed him teacher of melodies; his ordination as a deacon followed this appointment.5
The appointment reflected the pope’s conviction that training cantors was a matter of prime importance and that a highly skilled specialist in singing the rituals could improve church music by teaching others.15
He sang Coptic songs of his own composition in the homes of prominent families and received the title of Bey after composing and presenting a patriotic song to the Khedive.6
Collection of chants
Encouraged by Pope Cyril IV (1854–1861), Abuna Takla undertook a search for old Coptic chants. He traveled throughout Egypt, from north to south, visiting isolated villages and small towns to find old melodies. His principal aim was to locate the earliest records of church chants, although he also collected old folk songs.2
Kuhn places this interest in both sacred and secular repertoire within the broader interaction of folk and church music, noting that religious texts can be sung to folk melodies and that the reverse exchange can also occur.16
Liturgical contribution
His collecting work enabled him to compose liturgical melodies of his own. According to Moftah, these melodies remained a basis of contemporary traditional Coptic liturgical music.3
Magdalena Kuhn’s account identifies Abuna Takla as the collector and creator of melodies represented in the recorded repertoire she discusses, which was performed predominantly by the cantor Mikhail Girgis al-Batanouny.4
As part of his work in Coptic chant, Abuna Takla corrected pronunciation and insisted on proper enunciation and delivery of hymns.7
The Services of the Deacon
At Pope Cyril IV’s order, Abuna Takla published the first edition of The Services of the Deacon (Arabic: Khidmat al-Shammas) in 1859, with the assistance of Deacon Iryan Jirjis Muftah, a teacher of Coptic in the Patriarchal College.8
He compiled the work from existing books and hymn collections to assist deacons, who shared with cantors responsibility for selecting and ordering the hymns and responses for each liturgy and office.9
The book outlines hymns and responses in Coptic and Arabic for the liturgies and canonical offices throughout the year.10
At the pope’s direction, he also included four Greek hymns that he translated into Coptic.11
These hymns retained their Greek melodies, were designated Yunani (Greek), and continued to be sung for the feasts of the Nativity and Resurrection at the time of the source’s account.12
Students and transmission
Abuna Takla transmitted his knowledge and skills to seven students, including the cantors Abuna Murqus of Matay and Mu‘allim Armanyus.13
In the following generation, Mikhail Girgis al-Batanouny was a student of these pupils.14
Al-Batanouny (1873–1957) was himself blind and was remembered for an exceptionally clear voice and a prodigious memory.17
As a young man, he was sent to churches in numerous Egyptian towns to learn and collect hymns, and he later taught at the Institute of Saint Didymus.18
Ragheb Moftah selected him to sing for the English musicologist Ernest Newlandsmith, who between 1928 and 1936 notated the complete Liturgy of Saint Basil and many hymns reserved for Advent and Lent.19
Oral tradition and musical context
Kuhn situates Abuna Takla’s work against the absence of Coptic musical notation in the early Christian period, which leaves the structure of early Coptic melodies little known.20
She also notes that an exclusively oral musical tradition undergoes small changes over time, an important qualification when considering the later transmission of the repertoire associated with him.21
In her account of this musical tradition, biblical texts are generally delivered in melodic recitative rather than ordinary reading, with numerous microtones and a free rhythm adapted to the text.22
The syllabic style used for psalms, hymns, and liturgical chants assigns a single note to each syllable, with a short ornament on the final note and a melodic rhythm governed by the words.23
Kuhn also places Coptic performance within the wider Near and Middle Eastern practice of allowing improvisation through extended ornaments, often using established musical formulas or clusters of notes.24
Recordings and later preservation
According to Kuhn’s 2020 account, approximately 600 traditional Coptic liturgical melodies had survived through oral transmission from the middle of the nineteenth century and had been recorded on audio tapes.25
She identifies the earliest audio recordings as eleven wax cylinders made in 1931 by Alfred Berner, a German specialist in Arabic music, with al-Batanouny as the performer; these cylinders are deposited in the Phonogramm-Archiv in Berlin.26
Between 1935 and 1957, Ragheb Moftah (1898–2001) devoted substantial effort to assembling a collection of known traditional Coptic chants.27
This later collection was preserved on audio tapes and subsequently in digital form, making it available for study and use.28
The entire Moftah collection is housed in the Music Division of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and digital files have also been preserved at the German Center of Music in Hannover.29
Kuhn cautions that the concentration of the surviving recorded repertoire around a single collector and creator and predominantly one performer limits the evidence available for studying the structure and significance of the broader liturgical tradition.30
Questions
Frequently asked questions
- Who was Abuna Takla?
- He was a blind nineteenth-century Coptic teacher and deacon who collected chants, composed melodies, and taught hymn pronunciation and delivery.
- What was The Services of the Deacon?
- It was a compilation first published in 1859 that organized Coptic and Arabic hymns and responses for liturgies and canonical offices throughout the year.
- How did Pope Cyril IV support his work?
- The pope appointed him teacher of melodies, encouraged his collection of old chants, and ordered the publication of his service book, including four Greek hymns translated into Coptic.
- How was his musical knowledge transmitted?
- He taught seven students, including Abuna Murqus of Matay and Mu‘allim Armanyus. Their pupil Mikhail Girgis al-Batanouny later performed chants for transcription and recording.
- Where are later recordings of the tradition preserved?
- Al-Batanouny’s 1931 wax-cylinder recordings are in Berlin’s Phonogramm-Archiv. The Moftah collection is held at the Library of Congress, with digital files also preserved in Hannover.
References
Sources
- 1.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
In the 20th century, the Coptic musicologist Ragheb Moftah (1898-2001) made special reference to a teacher “with a good voice and keen ear” (Moftah 1991, “Cantors”). His name was Abuna Takla (Abūnā Taklā), a gifted young deacon who lived in the second half of the 19th century.
- 2.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
Abuna Takla was encouraged by Pope CYRIL IV (1854-1861) to collect old Coptic chants. He traveled the length and breadth of Egypt from north to south, from isolated villages to small towns, in search of old Coptic melodies. In the course of his mission, Abuna Takla’s first priority was to find the earliest records of Church chants, but he also collected old folk songs.
- 3.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
Abuna Takla’s quest enabled him to compose liturgical melodies himself. Moftah noted that these melodies are still the basis of contemporary Coptic traditional liturgical music.
- 4.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
The structure and significance of traditional Coptic liturgical melodies can be studied from the melodies of this record, unfortunately collected and created by one single chanter, the deacon Abuna Takla, and mostly performed by one professional musician, al-Batanouny.
- 5.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 104)
With this in mind, the pope found a blind young man who was teaching in the school adjacent to the patriarchal Church of Saint Mark, and perceiving him to be gifted with a good voice and keen ear, he appointed him to be teacher of melodies. Later, this teacher was ordained a deacon, Abuna Takla by name.
- 6.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 104)
Further, Abuna Takla sang Coptic songs of his own composition in the homes of outstanding families, and because of a patriotic song that he composed and presented to the Khedive, he was granted the title of Bey.
- 7.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 104)
As part of his task, Abuna Takla corrected the pronunciation of the language, demanding proper enunciation and delivery of the hymns.
- 8.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 104)
In 1859, at the order of Pope Cyril IV, he published the first edition of the book The Services of the Deacon (see Description of the Corpus, above), with the help of Deacon IRYAN JIRJIS MUFTAH, teacher of Coptic in the Patriarchal College.
- 9.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 85)
There is one other book very important in the description of the corpus, The Services of the Deacon (Arabic: Khidmat al-Shammas), which was assembled by Abuna Takla and first published in 1859. This work was compiled from the various books and collections of hymns already in existence in order to assist the deacon, who, along with the cantor, has the responsibility for the proper selection and order of the hymns and responses for each liturgy and office.
- 10.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 85)
This book outlines the hymns and responses in Coptic and Arabic for the liturgies and canonical offices throughout the year
- 11.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 104)
Also at the direction of the pope, Abuna Takla included therein four Greek hymns, which he translated into Coptic
- 12.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 104)
which are sung yet today for the feasts of the Nativity and Resurrection. They have kept their Greek melodies and are designated as Yunani (Greek).
- 13.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 104)
Abuna Takla had seven students to whom he transmitted his knowledge and skills. Among these were two cantors, Abuna Murqus of Matay, and Mu‘allim Armanyus.
- 14.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 104)
In the generation following, one of their students was the blind cantor, Mu‘allim MIKHA’IL JIRJIS al-Batanuni
- 15.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 104)
training of cantors a matter of prime importance to the church. He felt that a specialist, trained and highly skilled in singing the rituals, could help solve the problem, for such a professional could then teach others and thus be responsible for the improvement of the music.
- 16.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
In every music culture, folk and church music influence each other and become intermingled. Religious texts can be performed to folk melodies, and vice versa.
- 17.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 104)
the blind cantor, Mu‘allim MIKHA’IL JIRJIS al-Batanuni, who was blessed with an excellent, very clear voice and a prodigious memory.
- 17.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
the professional musician and cantor Mikhail Girgis al-Batanouny (1873-1957).
- 18.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 104)
As a youth, he was sent to visit churches in many towns of Egypt to learn and collect hymns. A faithful teacher at the Institute of Saint Didymus
- 19.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 104)
he was the cantor chosen by Ragheb Moftah to sing to the English musicologist, Ernest Newlandsmith, who, from 1928 to 1936, notated the complete Liturgy of Saint Basil and many hymns reserved for Advent and Lent
- 20.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
In the early days of Coptic Christianity, there was no Coptic musical notation. As a result, we know very little about the structure of early Coptic melodies.
- 21.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
Obviously, from time to time, some small changes take place in an exclusively oral music tradition.
- 22.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
biblical texts are rarely read in the manner of an everyday text, but are recited in a melodic recitative style: Recitative style: this style contains many microtones and has a free rhythm, where the rhythm is adapted to fit the text.
- 23.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
Syllabic style: a single note is assigned to each syllable in the corresponding text with a short ornament on the final note. The rhythm of the text defines the rhythm of the melody.
- 24.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
One of the main aspects of the music cultures of the Near and Middle East is that they provide room and freedom for improvisation (Gradenwitz 1977: 23, 68, 105). This is generally constructed by extended ornaments and very often by ornaments in a system of formulae, or a cluster of musical notes belonging together
- 25.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
As an oral tradition, some 600 Coptic traditional liturgical melodies have survived from the middle of the 19th century to the present day, and have been recorded on audio tapes.
- 26.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
The first audio recordings, 11 wax cylinders of Coptic music, are deposited in the Phonogramm-Archiv in Berlin. They were recorded in 1931 by Alfred Berner, a German specialist in Arabic music, and were performed by the professional musician and cantor Mikhail Girgis al-Batanouny
- 27.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
the Coptic musicologist Ragheb Moftah (1898-2001)
- 27.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
Between 1935 and 1957, Moftah put great effort into building up a collection of known Coptic traditional chants.
- 28.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
Today, this later collection has been well preserved and is available for use thanks to its recording on audio tapes and later in digital forms.
- 29.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
The entire Moftah collection is housed in the United States in the Music Division of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. It has also been saved in digital files at the German Center of Music in Hannover (Ramzy 2015: 65).
- 30.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 1)
The structure and significance of traditional Coptic liturgical melodies can be studied from the melodies of this record, unfortunately collected and created by one single chanter, the deacon Abuna Takla, and mostly performed by one professional musician, al-Batanouny.
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