Coptic Hymnology and the Oud: A Musical, Historical Analysis

This piece was prepared for a post on CopticCulture's Instagram account. Given that Instagram caps the amount of characters a post has, I decided to post the entire, original, unedited article here. This was originally written on June 30th, 2021.

Coptic music is considered to be one of the many miracles of the Copts, as the sheer magnitude of hymns that were passed down solely through rote memorization is incredible. This reflects in the musical culture of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, which has maintained its honest tradition through the years. Several discoveries hint at the possible involvement of musical instruments, namely the Oud, which is known historically as the grandfather of the guitar.

The Egyptian Oud is known for its bowled, almost domed neck and pear-like body, and is famous among traditional Arab orchestras for its warm mid-tones and its dynamic use of octaves. Many orchestras in the Middle East base most of their tunes on the Oud, as it is a foundational rhythm and bass voice in the traditional orchestra. Several notable musicians and composers gave the Oud its renown, including people like Riyad el Sunbati, Farid el Atrash, Mohammad Abd el Wahab, Mohammad el Qasabgy, Baligh Hamdy, and many more.

The Coptic Church officially does not use any instruments within the service of the Divine Liturgy except only two, namely the cymbals and the triangle. The only reason these instruments are used is to provide a loud and clear rhythm for everyone singing in the deacon’s chorus and among the laity that accompanied the deacons in their chants. The cymbals give the rhythm for the hymns, and in most cases is usually interpreted as a joyous instrument due to its piercing tones and playing style.

Now while the church officially does not use any other instruments with regard to official service, there is compelling evidence that the use of instruments was rather used to maintain the notation of hymns, as the tunes of the hymns that are available today is due largely rote memorization. The first indication of musical instruments within the Coptic community, especially within the music community at large, is the discovery of a Coptic Lute in the monastic graves of Saqqara. The Lute, which dates to around the 5th Century, was an early adaptation of the modern Oud that we have within our hands. Judging by the fact that Coptic music, and many of the hymns that are employed in the various Coptic feasts, fasts, and occasions, it can be reasonable to assume that such musical instruments were the musical method of denoting and composing the melodies sung today in the Coptic church.

What maintains this assumption is the discovery of audio recordings of cantors chanting to the accompaniment of the Oud. Cantor Wisa Ateiya, of the Metropolis of Luxor, was famous for recording many hymns with the Oud, which displays the musical expertise of cantors at the time. The recordings also display the high level of technique used in playing and singing the hymns at the same instance, a feat most musicians cannot achieve. The notes in the recordings serve not only as a musical accompaniment, but also as a secondary source that further preserves the melody of the hymn. Along with Cantor Wisa, there was also Cantor Ateiya Sawiros, from the Metropolis of Assiut, who recorded several of his chants with the accompaniment of the Oud.

In recent times, effort has been made to make such hymns available not only to the general public, but also to put into notation and record the hymns of the Coptic church using the oud. Recoding such hymns goes beyond the notation and into understanding the melody enough to record it in a way that is both appealing and artistic without leaving behind the actual structure of the hymn. This is where some initiatives, like Coptic Oud, have come into light to bring the music of the Copts into worldwide platforms that widely used among the diaspora and motherland Copts. Efforts are still underway to put all the hymns of the church on the oud and make them available to the public, which, in turn, will ensure future generations can listen to both the cantors and the musicians.

Sources and Recordings:

Eichmann, R. (2011). Extant lutes from the New Kingdom and the Coptic Period of Ancient Egypt. In ICONEA 2011. Proceedings of the International Conference of Near-Eastern Archaeomusicology held at Senate House, Institute of Musical Research University of London. December (Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 25-38).

Cantor Wisa Recordings with Oud:

Tenen+Ten Oweh Ensok

https://youtu.be/ueHMjnunrhI

Ya Kol Al Sofoof (All You Heavenly Orders)

https://youtu.be/JMHl5rtA2M8

Pi Epnevma (The Holy Spirit)

https://youtu.be/hb8SI9d_AiI

Cantor Ateiya Sawiros:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAaz2ZbnYyY