HOLY WEEK SERVICES FROM THE DIGITAL SERVICE BOOK AND HYMNAL, WITH AUDIO (MIDI) FILES FOR LEARNING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE MUSIC OF THE HYMNAL

      The Holy Week - Easter service book of Fr. George L. Papadeas is an established institution in the Greek Orthodox Church. The new hymnal for it digitizes and corrects the familiar Holy Week musical scores of John Sakellarides, and we used those scores to set the unmetered, but beautiful, English translations of Fr. George,  staying true to the modes and the rules of Byzantine chant.
      Below are links to each of the Holy Week services and musical scores formatted for viewing on digital tablets or phones. They are presented in side-by-side Greek and English versions. YOU MUST ZOOM YOUR DISPLAY IN SO THAT ONE LANGUAGE VERSION OR THE OTHER FILLS UP THE SCREEN. Then you may switch between languages by swiping a finger left or right on the screen, just as you scroll through the pages by swiping up or down. If you are doing a service in only one language, left and right swiping will be unnecessary. To see the PDF files instantly  in your browser, make sure the brower's settings are set to do so, or you may have to download an extension or plug-in to display PDF files. Otherwise, you will have to download the files to a location on your device and view them there.
      Preparation to chant the hymns of the Holy Week services is extremely important. As an aid in learning the melodies of the hymns, we offer these audio files that can be listened to as you practice singing the English scores. These MIDI files are computer-generated from the same scores you are reading. They are all in the same steady tempo and volume. There is no drone (ison) and the special tunings of Byzantine intervals are not depicted. They, of course, will only approximate same way you will chant the hymns in the services and should be used to familiarize yourself with the melodic lines. It will be up to you to provide the correct tempo, mode, and style to each hymn. Please read thoroughly the introduction and instructions in the foreword of the hymnal. To hear the files directly, be sure your browser has a MIDI player extension or plug-in. To do this, refer to the settings of the browser for audio content.

Click or tap on the links below to download and view the service text and scores, and to play the MIDI files of each service.

Introduction and Instructions
Palm Sunday Evening Bridegroom          MIDI
Holy Monday Evening Bridegroom          MIDI
Holy Tuesday Evening Bridegroom          MIDI
Holy Wednesday Evening Unction          MIDI
Holy Thursday Morning Liturgy          MIDI
Holy Thursday Evening 12 Gospels          MIDI
Great Friday Morning Hours          MIDI
Great Friday Afternoon Vespers          MIDI
Great Friday Evening Lamentations          MIDI
Holy Saturday Morning Liturgy          MIDI
Holy Saturday Midnight Office          MIDI
Pascha Midnight Resurrection          MIDI
Pascha Afternoon Agape Vespers          MIDI