Alexander Lingas Leads the Byzantine Chant Ensemble in Psalm 71


Dr. Alexander Lingas

Details of King Charles’ Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on May 6 have officially been published and provide the context in which Cappella Romana music director Alexander Lingas will lead the Byzantine Chant Ensemble in performance during the ceremony:

The Presentation of Regalia

Peers from non-Christian faiths and senior Anglican bishops present the regalia. During the exchange of swords, Psalm 71 is sung by the Greek Choir.

The official program notes:

This moment has been specially commissioned to reflect His Majestyโ€™s paternal heritage. His Late Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh was born a Prince of Greece, and as such, in a service so deeply reminiscent and steeped in the memories of His Majestyโ€™s Late Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, The Greek Choir were invited to remind His Majesty of his Fatherโ€™s influence, and dedicated service to the Late Queen, his family, the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.

Psalm 71

แฝ‰ ฮ˜ฮตฯŒฯ‚, ฯ„แฝธ ฮบฯฮฏฮผฮฑ ฯƒฮฟฯ… ฯ„แฟท ฮฒฮฑฯƒฮนฮปฮตแฟ– ฮดแฝธฯ‚ ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฯ„แฝดฮฝ ฮดฮนฮบฮฑฮนฮฟฯƒฯฮฝฮทฮฝ ฯƒฮฟฯ… ฯ„แฟท ฯ…แผฑแฟท ฯ„ฮฟแฟฆ ฮฒฮฑฯƒฮนฮปฮญฯ‰ฯ‚ ฮบฯฮฏฮฝฮตฮนฮฝ ฯ„แฝธฮฝ ฮปฮฑฯŒฮฝ ฯƒฮฟฯ… แผฮฝ ฮดฮนฮบฮฑฮนฮฟฯƒฯฮฝแฟƒ ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฯ„ฮฟแฝบฯ‚ ฯ€ฯ„ฯ‰ฯ‡ฮฟฯฯ‚ ฯƒฮฟฯ… แผฮฝ ฮบฯฮฏฯƒฮตฮน. แผˆฮปฮปฮทฮปฮฟฯฮฮฑ.

ฮšฯฮนฮฝฮตแฟ– ฯ„ฮฟแฝบฯ‚ ฯ€ฯ„ฯ‰ฯ‡ฮฟแฝบฯ‚ ฯ„ฮฟแฟฆ ฮปฮฑฮฟแฟฆ ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฯƒฯŽฯƒฮตฮน ฯ„ฮฟแฝบฯ‚ ฯ…แผฑฮฟแฝบฯ‚ ฯ„แฟถฮฝ ฯ€ฮตฮฝฮฎฯ„ฯ‰ฮฝ ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฯ„ฮฑฯ€ฮตฮนฮฝฯŽฯƒฮตฮน ฯƒฯ…ฮบฮฟฯ†ฮฌฮฝฯ„ฮทฮฝ. แผˆฮปฮปฮทฮปฮฟฯฮฮฑ.

ฮšฮฑแฝถ ฯƒฯ…ฮผฯ€ฮฑฯฮฑฮผฮตฮฝฮตแฟ– ฯ„แฟท แผกฮปฮฏแฟณ ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฯ€ฯแฝธ ฯ„แฟ†ฯ‚ ฯƒฮตฮปฮฎฮฝฮทฯ‚ ฮณฮตฮฝฮตแฝฐฯ‚ ฮณฮตฮฝฮตแฟถฮฝ. แผˆฮปฮปฮทฮปฮฟฯฮฮฑ.

แผˆฮฝฮฑฯ„ฮตฮปฮตแฟ– แผฮฝ ฯ„ฮฑแฟ–ฯ‚ แผกฮผฮญฯฮฑฮนฯ‚ ฮฑแฝฯ„ฮฟแฟฆ ฮดฮนฮบฮฑฮนฮฟฯƒฯฮฝฮท ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฯ€ฮปแฟ†ฮธฮฟฯ‚ ฮตแผฐฯฮฎฮฝฮทฯ‚, แผ•ฯ‰ฯ‚ ฮฟแฝ— แผ€ฮฝฯ„ฮฑฮฝฮฑฮนฯฮตฮธแฟ‡ แผก ฯƒฮตฮปฮฎฮฝฮท. แผˆฮปฮปฮทฮปฮฟฯฮฮฑ.

ฮ”ฯŒฮพฮฑ ฮ ฮฑฯ„ฯฮฏ, ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฮฅแผฑแฟท, ฮบฮฑแฝถ แผ‰ฮณฮฏแฟณ ฮ ฮฝฮตฯฮผฮฑฯ„ฮน. ฮšฮฑแฝถ ฮฝแฟฆฮฝ ฮบฮฑแฝถ แผ€ฮตฮฏ, ฮบฮฑแฝถ ฮตแผฐฯ‚ ฯ„ฮฟฯฯ‚ ฮฑแผฐแฟถฮฝฮฑฯ‚ ฯ„แฟถฮฝ ฮฑแผฐฯŽฮฝฯ‰ฮฝ. แผˆฮผฮฎฮฝ.

ฮšฯฯฮนฮต, ฯƒแฟถฯƒฮฟฮฝ ฯ„แฝธฮฝ ฮ’ฮฑฯƒฮนฮปฮญฮฑ ฮบฮฑแฝถ แผฯ€ฮฌฮบฮฟฯ…ฯƒฮฟฮฝ แผกฮผแฟถฮฝ แผฮฝ แพ— แผ‚ฮฝ แผกฮผฮญฯฮฑ แผฯ€ฮนฮบฮฑฮปฮตฯƒฯŽฮผฮตฮธฮฌ ฯƒฮต.

แผˆฮปฮปฮทฮปฮฟฯฯŠฮฑ,
แผˆฮปฮปฮทฮปฮฟฯฯŠฮฑ,
แผˆฮปฮปฮทฮปฮฟฯฯŠฮฑ. ฮ”ฯŒฮพฮฑ ฯƒฮฟฮน แฝ ฮ˜ฮตฯŒฯ‚ แผกฮผแฟถฮฝ, ฮดฯŒฮพฮฑ ฯƒฮฟฮน.

Give the king your judgements, O God, and your righteousness to the son of a king. Then shall he judge your people righteously and your poor with justice. Alleluia.

May he defend the poor among the people, deliver the children of the needy and crush the oppressor. Alleluia.

May he live as long as the sun and moon endure, from one generation to another. Alleluia.

In his time shall righteousness flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more. Alleluia.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen

O Lord, save the king and answer us when we call upon you.

Alleluia,
alleluia,
alleluia. Glory to you, our God, glory to you.

Reflecting on his involvement in the Ceremony, Dr. Lingas said:

As a scholar and practitioner of the ancient traditions of Byzantine chant, I am deeply honored to have been asked to help realize the request of His Majesty, King Charles III that the Coronation include a musical tribute to his late father, His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Integrating Greek psalmody into the equally ancient rites of the Coronation Service is a profound and beautiful demonstration of the deep appreciation for Orthodox Christianity long shown by both His Majesty and the late Duke of Edinburgh.