First Fruits

First Fruits

Artist: Boston Byzantine Choir
Item number: AB002
Category: Byzantine
Chant Type: Byzantine
Language: English
Label: Boston Byzantine Choir
Period: Contemporary
Length: 56'55
Release date: 1996
Read a description or review of this item.

Price: $17.99 USD
This product usually ships on the next business day.

You may need RealPlayer or Windows Media Player to listen to the music samples below.

1. Blessed is The Man

2. O Lord, I Have Cried

3. Rich Men Have Turned Poor

4. God Is The Lord

5. Resurrectional Troparion

6. Resurrectional Theotokion

7. The Magnificat

8. The Praises

9. Troparion of St. Thekla

10. Troparion of the Nativity

11. Today the Virgin

12. Troaprion of Theophany

13. As Many As Have Been Baptized

14. Awed By The Beauty

15. To Thee, The Champion

16. The Stichera of Pascha

17. Doxasticon of Pascha

18. Troparion of Pascha

19. Kontakion of Pascha

20. Who Is So Great a God

21. First Sticheron of the American Saints

22. Troparion of All Saints of America

23. O Protection of Christians

24. In Giving Birth

25. O Virgin Pure


This collection of Byzantine hymnography in English, the first recording by Boston Byzantine Choir, will no longer come as a revelation to contemporary Orthodox in North America--that tradition Byzantine chant can be well rendered in English. This choir laid the ground work, and pioneered recordings that showed the traditional tones and hymns can be rendered in the English language without a diminution of form and essence. Their renderings go on to show that this tradition of sacred music need not be inaccessible to western listeners. This first recording is a collection of hymns from Vespers, Liturgy and a number of feasts, as well as perennial favorites such as O Virgin Pure (Agni Partheni), To Thee the Champion Leader, and the Troparion of All Saints of America. Liner notes with hymn text in English included.

By: Fr. Nicholas Kastanas

As Orthodox living in the the new world, we enthusiastically welcome the first labor of love emanating from a talented and diverse group known as The Boston Byzantine Choir. First Fruits is fifty-seven minutes of psalms and hymns chanted in the traditional monophonic, a cappella pattern ? with ison line ? of Byzantine Chant. Dedicated to the memory of Fr. Gregory Phelan, the recording is well-done and inspiring. Even though the members of the choir are reading Western notation in the vocal reproduction of the hymns, female and male voices blend beautifully and mystically to render with precision and spirit the hymns in English. The ten-member choir is vibrantly engaging. Technically speaking, the chanting is in the Byzantine style but with a strong element of Western ephos. We congratulate Mr. Marge and the choir for their blessed effort from God. Well done! Their ?musical fruits? are worthy for all to appreciate.