Melisma in Coptic Chant

References

Sources

1. 1.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 2)

   Melismatic melodies: a group of notes is performed on a single syllable of an important word. Vocalises: (Arabic: al-hazzāt, vibration): This variation of a melismatic melody includes extremely long vocalises, mostly constructed by formulae. It is a common characteristic, and indeed a kind of specialty, of Coptic music.

2. 2.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 76)

   This phenomenon may take two forms identified by scholars as vocalise, when the vowel is prolonged with a definite rhythmic pulse, and melisma (pl. melismata), when the vowel is prolonged in a free, undefined rhythm. A melisma generally lasts from ten to twenty seconds, but some vocalises may continue for a full minute.

3. 3.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 2)

   In Coptic hymns, traditional rules govern these kinds of ornaments. They take a special form and are thus not free, unbounded embellishments without structure. They are sung in a special musical structure in a metric and compelling rhythm. ... All three kinds of improvisation melodies are composed in clusters of notes, called modus or formulae. One group of notes can be repeated once or multiple times in a chant. Moreover, a group can be repeated in a higher or lower pitch, or even in sequences (sets of notes that follow each other in a particular order). Formulae permit a cantor to lengthen o

4. 4.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 88)

   From the beginnings of the church, the music has passed from one person to another, from one generation to the next, by oral teaching and rote learning. ... Other comparisons of recordings made years apart at the Institute of Coptic Studies also show that the basic melodies have remained unchanged, and that even the embellishments, though varying slightly, occur in the same places throughout the melody in question. This is especially true for those compositions sung by the choir. In the case of solo performers, variation and improvisation are to be found, particularly in the embellishments and

5. 5.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.

6. 6.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 2)

   A vocalise is always placed on one or two vowels of an important word in a text, whereas other words can be bound together. Coptic cantors claim that the grammatical constructions of the texts are not important in vocalises. The vowels are the most important part in these kinds of chants. The vowels “i” and “e” in a word usually become “ei,” while the vowels “a,” “o,” and “u” become “aw” or “ow.” A vocalise can last between one and twenty minutes. Its length depends on the day, the occasion, and the liturgical feast, but especially on the cantor’s knowledge and skill. The purpose of vocalises

7. 7.Coptic Melodies: Structure and Significance — Magdalena Kuhn (p. 2)

   The first formula serves to identify the melody for a certain feast day. This formula is fixed by tradition and is the same for every singer, whether professional or lay people. ... A cantor is more or less free to select other formulae in different positions in the same melody, whether in the middle or at the end, and also in other melodies. ... Hence, well-known melodies are constructed by oral tradition, while less well-known melodies are more likely to vary.

8. 8.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 77)

   Many scholars have felt that Coptic melodies seem to unfold in spontaneous and endless improvisation. However, analyses reveal that this music has been constructed according to definite forms, three of which may be described. (1) Some songs are made up of various brief phrases, which are woven together so as to form clearly identifiable sections (usually three or four) and repeated with slight variation; the piece ends with a prescribed cadential formula. ... The extended vocalises and melismata described above are found most often in this kind of piece.

9. 9.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 76)

   Because of these many vocalises and melismata, a study of the text alone does not always indicate the form of the music. The music may further show its independence from the text in that musical and textual phrases do not always correspond. ... in some hymns a musical cadence may occur even in the middle of a word

10. 10.The Coptic Encyclopedia, Volume 6 — Aziz S. Atiya (Editor in Chief) (p. 83)

    These melodies are rhythmic and syllabic, that is, the notes match the texts with little trace of melisma or improvisation