PANAGIA 5) General Canon to the Orthodox to the Mother of God Odes 1, 3, 6, 9 Pavel Chesnokov Recorded by Archangel Voices (2013) Dr. Vladimir Morosan, Artistic Director 1. I will open my mouth and it will be filled with the spirit, and I will utter a word for the 1) It Is Truly Meet Queen and Mother, and I will be seen keeping Dmitry Yaichkov radiant festival, and rejoicing I will sing her (arr. of Bulgarian Chant) wonders.

Most Holy Theotokos, save us! It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, 3. O Theotokos, as a living and inexhaustible ever blessed and most pure and the Mother fount, establish those united in spiritual of our God. fellowship who sing you hymns of praise, and More honorable than the Cherubim and in your divine glory grant them crowns of more glorious beyond compare than the glory. Seraphim, without corruption you gave birth to Most Holy Theotokos, save us! God the Word, true Theotokos, we magnify you. 6. As we celebrate this divine and honored feast of the Mother of God, come, godly- 2) O Most Holy Theotokos, Save Us minded people, let us clap our hands as we Pavel Chesnokov glorify God who was born of her. Let us pray to the Most Holy Theotokos! Most Holy Theotokos, save us! O Most Holy Theotokos, save us! 9. Let all those born of earth, bearing Deliver us your servants, from danger, for torches, leap for joy in spirit; let the nature next to God, we run to your protection as to of the immaterial Minds keep festival as it an impregnable rampart and steadfast hope. honors the sacred festival of the Mother Let us pray to the Most Holy Theotokos! of God, and let it cry out: “Hail, all-blessed O Most Holy Theotokos, save us! Theotokos, pure and ever-virgin.” Look down in your loving kindness, O All- praised Theotokos, upon the anguish and 6) My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord distress that my body suffers, and heal the Pavel Chesnokov deadly sickness of my soul. Let us pray to the Most Holy Theotokos! My soul doth magnify, magnify the Lord, O Most Holy Theotokos, save us! and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. More honorable than the Cherubim and 3) Open unto Us the Doors more glorious beyond compare than the Alexander Kastalsky Seraphim, without corruption thou gavest birth to God the Word, true Theotokos, thee do we Open unto us the doors of your magnify. compassion, O blessed Theotokos, that we For He hath regarded the low estate of His who put our hope in you may not perish, but handmaiden; henceforth all generations will be delivered from adversity, for you are the call me blessed. salvation of all Christian people. More honorable… For He that is mighty has done great 4) Virgin Theotokos, Rejoice things for me, and holy is His name, and Kurt Sander His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. Virgin Theotokos, rejoice! Mary full of grace, More honorable… the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, for thou hast borne the Savior of our souls. ~ 1 ~ 7) Praises for the Nativity of the Theotokos, into the Temple in virginal glory. Sticheron 1 The glorious fruit of a holy promise, Model melody “O most glorious wonder” the Theotokos is truly shown to the world Tone 8 as exalted over all. As she is brought with reverence into the house of God, she fulfills O most strange wonder! The fount of the prayer of her parents, being preserved by life is born of a barren woman, and grace the Divine Spirit. begins gloriously to bear its fruit. Rejoice, O You were nourished by faith with heavenly , inspired by God, who hast become bread, O Virgin, in the Temple of the Lord, the father of the Theotokos. There is no other and you brought forth for the world the Word, father in mankind like unto thee, for through Who is the Bread of Life. As His chosen and thee has been given to us the maiden in immaculate Temple, you were betrothed whom God came to dwell, the tabernacle of mystically through the Spirit to be Bride of God, the most holy mountain. God the Father. Let the gate of the Temple where God 8) Praises for the Nativity of the Theotokos, dwells be opened, for today Joachim takes Sticheron 2 into the Temple in glory the Temple and Model melody “O most glorious wonder” Throne of the King of all, and dedicates as Tone 8 an offering to God her whom the Lord has chosen to be His Mother. O most strange wonder! At the behest of the Almighty Maker of all, a fruit has 11) I Will Receive the Cup of Salvation~ shone forth from a barren womb that has Vladimir Morosan fully ended the world’s barrenness in good. Ye mothers, dance with the mother of the Refrain: I will receive the cup of salvation Theotokos and cry: “Rejoice, thou who art full and call on the name of the Lord. of grace, the Lord is with thee, granting the What shall I render to the Lord for all His world through thee great mercy.” bounty to me? I will pay my vows to the Lord in the 9) Praises for the Nativity of the Theotokos, presence of all His people. Sticheron 1 Precious, in the sight of the Lord, is the Model melody “O most glorious wonder” death of His saint. Tone 8, arr. N. Zakkak O Lord, I am Your servant and son of your Living pillar of chastity and bright vessel handmaid: You have loosed my bonds. shining with grace, glorious Anna has brought I will offer You the sacrifice of thanksgiving into the world an offspring that is truly the and call on the Name of the Lord. divine flower of virginity, and who bestows In the courts of the house of the Lord, in the beauty of virginity on all who are virgins your midst O . and desire this gift of grace, granting the Glory to the Father and to the Son and to faithful great mercy. the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

10) Praises for the Entrance of the Theotokos 12) Verses 9th Ode; Presentation of the Lord Model melody “Joy of the Heavenly Nazo Zakkak, Hierarchies” (arr. of Byzantine Melody)

Virgins, bearing lamps to light the way for O Virgin Mother full of grace, the ever-Virgin, truly prophesy in the Spirit accomplishing the Mystery, that which is to come. For the Theotokos is transcending every human mind, the Temple of God, and from infancy is led with heaven’s host in company. ~ 2 ~ The Prophet Simeon once held 16) O Victorious Leader within his arms the mighty God, Pavel Chesnokov Creator of the law, Who stands and reigns in heaven: Lord and God. O victorious leader of triumphant hosts, we your servants delivered from evil, sing our And having willed it thus to pass, grateful thanks to you, O Theotokos, as you to save mankind from settled fate, possess invincible might, set us free from God came from a Virgin’s womb, every calamity, that we may cry to you, to share our low and humble state. “Rejoice, O bride without bridegroom!” Your praise, O Virgin Mother pure flows on every human tongue; 17) to the Mother God, because of Christ, your firstborn Son, Kontakion and Ikos 1 You stand extolled and praised in song. Traditional Moscow Melody

Lift up your eyes to Him on high A prince of the angels was sent from heaven you princes ruling every land. to say to the Theotokos, “Rejoice!” And as, Behold our Lord and Christ is borne at his bodiless voice, he saw You, Lord, on holy Simeon’s humble hands. embodied, he was astounded and stood still, crying out to her like this: Our earth, on seeing You, O God, now shakes with fear throughout the land. Rejoice, you through whom joy will shine out, For how can you, transcending all, Rejoice, you through whom the curse will be held within a human hand? cease. Rejoice, recalling of fallen Adam, 13) Today Is the Beginning of Our Salvation Rejoice, redemption of the tears of Eve. Nazo Zakkak Rejoice, height hard to climb for human

thoughts, Today is the beginning of our salvation— Rejoice, depth hard to scan even for angels’ the revelation of the eternal mystery: eyes. The Son of God becomes the Son of the Rejoice, for you are a throne for the King, Virgin, as Gabriel announces the coming of Rejoice, for you carry the One who carries all. Grace. Together with him, let us cry to the Rejoice, star that makes visible the Sun, Theotokos: “Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Rejoice, womb of divine incarnation. Lord is with you.” Rejoice, you through whom creation is renewed. 14) With the Voice of the Archangel Rejoice, you through whom the Creator Dmitry Bortniansky becomes a babe. With the voice of the Archangel we cry aloud Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom! to thee, O Pure Virgin: “Rejoice, thou who art full of grace, the Lord is with thee!” But the holy Virgin, seeing herself pure, 15) The Mystery of God says boldly to Gabriel, “The strangeness of Andrei Ilyashenko you words seems hard for my soul to accept. For from a conception without seed you The mystery of God from all eternity is foretell pregnancy, as you cry: Alleluia!” made manifest today: the Word of God in His mercy becomes the Son of the Virgin, Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! and Gabriel proclaims the joy of the . Let us with him exclaim to her: “Rejoice, O Mother of the Lord!” ~ 3 ~ 18) Awed by the Beauty worthily! Every mind is over-awed by your Richard Toensing childbearing! Therefore with one voice we (arr. of Byzantine Chant) glorify You!

Awed by the beauty of thy virginity, and 22) Stichera at Lord, I Have Cried for Dormition the exceeding of thy purity, Gabriel stood The original pattern melody: “Oh, the amazed and cried to thee, O Mother of God: marvelous wonder,” Tone1 “What praise may I offer thee that is worthy of thy beauty? By what name shall I call Oh, the marvelous wonder! thee? I am lost and bewildered. But I shall The source of Life is laid in a grave, and the greet thee as I was commanded: ‘Hail, thou tomb becomes a ladder to heaven. Rejoice, that art full of grace.’” Gethsemane, holy shrine of the Theotokos! Let us, the faithful, cry out with Gabriel as 19) All of Creation our captain: “Rejoice, O full of grace, the Kurt Sander Lord is with you, He that grants the world great mercy through you.” All of creation rejoices in thee: O full of Oh, the wonder of you mysteries, pure grace: the assembly of angels, and the race Lady: you were made the throne of the Most of men, O sanctified temple and spiritual High, and today you have passed from earth paradise, the glory of virgins, from whom to heaven. Your glory is full of splendor, God was incarnate and became a child, our shining with grace in divine brightness. God before the ages. He made thy body Virgins, be raised to the heights with the into a throne, and thy womb He made more Mother of the King! Rejoice, O full of grace, spacious than the heavens! All of creation the Lord is with you, He that grants the rejoices in thee: O full of grace. Glory to thee, world great mercy through you. glory to thee, glory to thee. The Dominions and Thrones, the rulers, Principalities and Powers, the Cherubim and 20) The Angel Cried Out fearsome Seraphim, glorify you falling asleep. Alexander Nikolsky All those born of earth rejoice, adorned with (arr. of Russian “Greek” Chant) honor by your divine glory. Kings fall down The angel cried out to the Lady full of and sing with the Archangels and Angels: grace, “Rejoice, rejoice, O Pure Virgin, and “Rejoice, O full of grace, the Lord is with again I say ‘Rejoice,’ your Son is risen from you, He that grants the world great mercy His three days in the tomb. With Himself through you.” He has raised all the dead, rejoice, all ye people!” Shine, shine, O New Jerusalem, for 23) Apostles, Assembled Here the glory of the Lord has shone on you. Exult Melody of the Kievan Caves now, exult and be glad, O Zion! Be radiant, O Apostles, assembled here from the ends of most pure Theotokos, in the resurrection of the earth, bury my body in Gethsemane; and your Son. Thou, my Son and God, receive my spirit.

21) Rejoice, O Queen 24) Apostles, Assembled Here Vladimir Morosan (arr. of Znamenny Chant) Grigory Lvovsky (arr. of Kievan Caves Monastery Melody) The apostles, beholding the descent of the Comforter, were amazed, how the Holy Spirit (same as above) appeared in the form of fiery tongues. Rejoice, O Queen! Glory of mothers and virgins! No mouth, however sweet or fluent, is eloquent enough to praise you

~ 4 ~ 25) Beneath Your Compassion 29) O Vineyard, Fair and New Dmitry Bortniansky Traditional Georgian Hymn (arr. of a traditional hymn) (English adaptation of the original Georgian text by Benedict Sheehan) Beneath your compassion we take refuge, O Virgin Theotokos. Do not despise our O Vineyard fair and new, ever freshly supplications in adversity, but deliver us blooming. from perils, O only Pure and only Blessed Young, comely, fragrant Stem, springing One. out of Eden. O Most Holy Theotokos, save us! May God Himself adorn you who are most honored. 26) My Queen Most Blessed For you, O brilliant Sun, ever shine with Traditional Monastery Melody unwaning light. My Queen most blessed, O Theotokos my hope, 30) We Learn From the Angel Guardian of orphans, Archpriest Paul Harrilchak Intercessor for strangers, (arr. from a Galician Carol) Joy of the sorrowful, Protectress of the wronged, We learn from the angel, O Mary full of grace, thou seest my misfortune, just how to greet you and say: thou seest mine affliction. “Rejoice, destined maid and favorite of God Help me for I am weak; whose word you freely obey!” feed me for I am a stranger. Refrain: Blest are you in the house of the Thou knowest mine offense, Lord! Blest is the Son and Savior you bore! absolve it as thou wilt. Rejoice, O Full of Grace. For I have no other help beside thee, Rejoice, clay enclosing creation’s ancient no other intercessor nor good consoler Potter, reforming Adam within, except thee, O Mother of God, Rejoice garden lush with the presence of the do thou preserve and protect me Father, open to Eve once again! unto the ages of ages, amen. Refrain. Rejoice, living Book for the deathless Word 27) I Have Thee as a Fountain of God, who comes to the world through you! Nazo Zakkak Rejoice, precious flask filled with chrism of the Spirit, making ev’rything new! I have thee as a fountain, and defense of Refrain. my life, O Theotokos and Virgin. Rejoice, mystic star reflecting off the Sun to Pilot me, govern me into thy sheltered port, guide us all in the Way! for thou art the author of , Rejoice, brilliant lamp of the teaching of the staff of the faithful, O thou only all-lauded Church! Let none of us stumble or stray! one. Refrain. Rejoice, table set with the Bread come down 28) We Have No Other Help from heaven, nourishing all with His Life! Cecil A. Bailey Rejoice, loving mother of each and every Christian, model disciple of Christ! We have no other help, we have no other Refrain. hope than you, O Lady; come to help us. We have set our hope on you, and in you alone we exult, for we are your servants. Amen, and glory to God! Let us not be put to shame.

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