{"product_id":"the-saint-sophia-50th-anniversary-chorale-byzantine-gems","title":"The Saint Sophia 50th Anniversary Chorale: Byzantine Gems","description":"The Saint Sophia 50th Anniversary Chorale: Byzantine Gems MUSIC AUDIO CD SEALED  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp class=\"proAttr productType\"\u003e\u003clabel\u003eType: \u003c\/label\u003e Music \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"proAttr productType\"\u003e\u003clabel\u003ePlatform: \u003c\/label\u003e Audio CD \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"proAttr productType\"\u003e\u003clabel\u003ePublisher: \u003c\/label\u003e The Saint Sophia 50th Anniversary Chorale \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"proAttr productType\"\u003e\u003clabel\u003eReleased: \u003c\/label\u003e 2002 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp class=\"proAttr productType\"\u003e\u003clabel\u003eMedia: \u003c\/label\u003e CD \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cshortdescription\u003e\u003c\/shortdescription\u003eThe Saint Sophia 50th Anniversary Chorale: Byzantine Gems\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlbum Features\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTitle:\u003cbr\u003eThe Saint Sophia 50th Anniversary Chorale: Byzantine Gems\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRecord Label:\u003cbr\u003eThe Saint Sophia 50th Anniversary Chorale\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRelease Year:\u003cbr\u003e2002\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCat No:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCountry:\u003cbr\u003eUS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGenre:\u003cbr\u003eReligious \/ Choral\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStyle:\u003cbr\u003eByzantine Chant; Chrysanthene Chant; Sacred Choral\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Saint Sophia 50th Anniversary Chorale was formed as a community response to a milestone in the life of Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, gathering singers, scholars, and clergy to honor fifty years of worship and cultural life. Rooted in the centuries-old traditions of Byzantine praxis and the later chrysanthene notation reforms, the ensemble cultivates vocal purity, modal chant technique, and the sustained ison that underpin Orthodox liturgical singing. Their approach emphasizes faithful liturgical delivery and spiritual intent, making every performance both a musical offering and a communal act of remembrance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eByzantine Gems collects a thoughtfully curated selection of historic chants and liturgical pieces, transcribed and arranged for the chorale with sensitivity to their original modal structures. The program ranges from 12th-century Byzantine chant to 19th-century chrysanthene transcriptions prepared by Dr. Frank Desby, and it includes scriptural readings from Genesis and Revelation, plus a special presentation honoring Dr. Desby’s scholarly legacy. Featured readers Peter Kouvelis and Dr. James P. Brown contribute spoken interludes that frame the music, while several hymns on the recording are newly arranged or composed by Dr. Desby himself, bridging scholarly reconstruction with contemporary choral realization.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs both a concert document and an accessible introduction to Greek Orthodox sacred music, this release has significance for worship communities, music students, and lovers of chant alike. It serves to preserve and transmit repertoire that might otherwise be confined to archival manuscripts, demonstrating how modal chant and choral arrangement can coexist without sacrificing liturgical authenticity. Celebrating the cathedral’s golden anniversary, the album stands as a testament to the enduring cultural and spiritual role of Byzantine chant within diaspora communities and the continuing work of scholars and practitioners to keep this tradition alive.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEngineering and mastering credited to D'n A On-Site Recording and Trumpet Vine Sound, LLC.\u003cbr\u003eSpecial presentation honoring Dr. Frank Desby. Special thanks to the Greek Sacred and Secular Music Society.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTracklist\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1.\u003cbr\u003eReading from Genesis 1:1-3 \/ The Great Doxology (Arr. Dr. Frank Desby) - Peter Kouvelis, Reader\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2.\u003cbr\u003eSpecial Presentation Honoring Dr. Frank Desby - George Bonorris\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e12TH CENTURY BYZANTINE CHANT - TRANSCRIBED BY DR. FRANK DESBY\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e3.\u003cbr\u003eA New Sun Passed Over the Land of Darkness\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e4.\u003cbr\u003eKnow Ye That I Am God\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e5.\u003cbr\u003eShine, Shine O New Jerusalem\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e19TH CENTURY CHRYSANTHENE CHANT - TRANSCRIBED BY DR. FRANK DESBY\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e6.\u003cbr\u003eChrist Is Born, Glorify Him\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e7.\u003cbr\u003eThe Rich Are Hungry\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e8.\u003cbr\u003eI Will Love You O Lord\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e9.\u003cbr\u003eI Shall Receive the Cup of Salvation\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e10.\u003cbr\u003eYour Cross We Revere (Arr. Dr. Frank Desby)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e11.\u003cbr\u003eAll Who Have Been Baptized (Arr. Dr. Frank Desby)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e12.\u003cbr\u003eHoly God, Holy Mighty (Arr. Dr. Frank Desby)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e13.\u003cbr\u003eReading from the Divine Revelation of St John 4:1-8 - Dr. James P. Brown, Reader\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e14.\u003cbr\u003eCherubic Hymn (Arr. Dr. Frank Desby)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e15.\u003cbr\u003ePraise the Lord from the Heavens (Arr. Dr. Frank Desby)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e16.\u003cbr\u003eLord I Have Loved the Beauty of Thy House (Composed by Dr. Frank Desby)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e17.\u003cbr\u003eBlessed Are You O Christ Our God (Arr. Dr. Frank Desby)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor CD Player\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"The Saint Sophia 50th Anniversary Chorale","offers":[{"title":"New, Sealed In CD Case","offer_id":67671899504918,"sku":"137689","price":74.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0083\/0377\/1710\/files\/20261008173129033d8dd499e5fa.jpg?v=1791506108","url":"https:\/\/www.neverdiemedia.com\/products\/the-saint-sophia-50th-anniversary-chorale-byzantine-gems","provider":"NeverDieMedia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}