Today I'm listening to a Russian chant called, "We Praise Thee." This performance is by the St. Petersburg Chamber Choir and lead by Pavel Grigoryvech Chesnokov. It's a beautiful and haunting peace. The Russian Orthodox Church is alternatively known as the Moscow Patriarchate. This patriarch apparently ranked fifth behind the Greek Patriarchates of: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. The ROC has a very long and rich tradition. Their philosophy of music is quite a bit different from the Reformed tradition. According to that great source wikipedia, the ROC followed the Greek Orthodox very closely with their hymns being word for word Slavonic translations of Greek and the hymns being placed in similar liturgical order. However in 1797, after some more Greek and a little bit of Italian influence, Emperor Paul ordered that only Russian composed hymns be sung in church. I think singing in the tongues of the people who are worshiping is something the Reformers could support.
I don't have a translation of this piece. I'm not sure in what way the hymnist was thinking of praising the Lord. For all I know, it could be just "We Praise Thee" repeated. I'm not really sure how chants work. However, the soundscape this recording provides certainly sets a reflective tone. Hymns train our affections. They train how we view God's holiness, how His love makes us feel, how we should joyfully praise, and etc. "We Praise Thee" very much trains the affection. So while I don't know, outside of the title, what this chant is about, I am provided respite and reflection. I can take a moment, breathe, and ponder God's mercy to me, and in doing so, give thanks for the love He has shown me despite my sinful nature.
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