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Armenian Chants

Armenian chant,  vocal music of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the religious poetry that serves as its texts. Armenia was Christianized quite early by missionaries from Syria and Greek-speaking areas of the eastern Mediterranean and accepted Christianity as the state religion about AD 300. The development of a distinctive Armenian liturgy was influenced by various factors. Toward the end of the 4th century, the Armenian church proclaimed its independence from the archbishopric of Caesarea Cappadociae (now Kayseri, Turkey), in Asia Minor. According to tradition, the great Armenian scholar Mesrop Mashtots invented, with the help of others, the Armenian alphabet in 405, and he then carried out important translations of religious literature from Syriac and Greek into Armenian. The introduction of the new alphabet stimulated a flourishing literature, an important part of which was religious poetry. The earliest preserved examples date from the 4th century.

In the 12th century the catholicos (patriarch) Nerses IV Shnorhali (“the Gracious”) is credited with musical reforms of the chant. He is said to have simplified the texts of the religious poetry and the melodies of the chant, bringing it closer to the style of Armenian folk music. Nerses also wrote a number of sharakan (hymns). The final form of the collection of Sharakan, containing nearly 1,200 hymns, was obtained about 1300 and has apparently remained unchanged. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

Armenian Orthodox Hymn «Ի ննջմանէդ արքայական» - "From Your Royal Slumber" - Archb. Torkom Donoyan.
03:33
Փառք Քեզ Տէր Աստուած Մեր - Glory to You, O our Lord God - (Armenian Orthodox Intercessory Prayer)
04:04
Armenian Orthodox Requiem Hymn - Գթա, Տէր - Have Pity, Lord.
01:15
Սիովնի Որդիք - Sons of Zion (Armenian Orthodox Hymn - Sunday Morning Hour of Prayer)
01:59
Armenian Orthodox Chant - Ճաշու Շարական, Յարութեան Բկ - Jashou Hymns Mode IV
02:22
Mother and Virgin - Մայր եւ Կոյս Magnificat - Chanted by “Luys” Quintetto
03:15
Armenian Orthodox Epiphany Chant - O Awesome - Ով Զարմանալի (Մկրտութեան Շարական)
02:08
Խորհուրդ Մեծ - Great and Wonderous mystery - Armenian Orthodox Canon of Theophany (Tone 8 - Դկ)
02:41
Ս. զԱստուածածինն - The Holy Mother of God (Armenian Orthodox Holy Nativiry Midday Hymn)
01:20
Այսօր Տօն է Ս. Ծննդեան - Aysor Don e (Armenian Orthodox Nativity Hymn - Ծննդեան Մեղեդի).
03:09
Armenian Orthodox Penitential Hymn - Համբառնամ Առ Քեզ, Տէր- I Lift My Eyes to You, Lord (Դձ)
00:40
Armenian Orthodox Midday (Jashu) Hymn for the Feast of Discover of the Holy Cross. (Ճաշու Շարական)
01:49
Armenian Orthodox Hymn - The Feast of The Cross of the Varak Monastery  - Նշանաւ Ամենայաղթ
02:05
Exaltation of the Holy Cross - Armenian Hymn - "The Power of Your Holy Cross - Զօրութիւն Սուրբ Խաչի.
02:02
Armenian Orthodox Baptism Chant - Christ, Radian Sun of Righteousness, Արեգակն Արդարութեան Քրիստոս.
01:37
Armenian Orthodox Chant - Intercede For us, O Mary - Բարեխօսեա վասն մեր Աստուածածին Մարիամ (Բձ)
00:49
The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, "Vor I Lerinn Aylagerbyal - Որ Ի Լերինն Այլակերպեալ։
01:05
Sourp Asdvadz - Holy God - Սուրբ Աստուած. (The Trisagion in Armenian)
02:35
Փառք քեզ, Տէր Աստուած մեր - Glory to you, O Lord (Armenian Orthodox Hymn, Rest Hour Prayer)
04:04
Armenian Orthodox Peace Prayer Hour Chant - Հալածեա Ի Մէնջ, Տէր - Chase Away From Us, O Lord.
01:20
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