Singing/Chanting Prayers

[Gaura Priya]

I am wondering if any of you chant or sing your prayers in your worship or devotional time?

I myself am trying to chant in English, but it is kind of difficult when there hasn`t really been a developed English tradition of chanting prayers.

Here are two examples of Baha'i prayers that are chanted.


[youtube]h4U5OMo4kqU[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4U5OMo4kqU

[youtube]byFqPo79jJM[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byFqPo79jJM

 

[Koldo]

Hmm, i often find pre-created prayers to lose the feeling that i see as required to speak with God. One should speak words from the "heart" and not from the "memory", in my humble opinion.

If you want to chant a prayer i believe you could possibly make adaptations to already existing prayers. Of course it would take work to do so.

Also, not wanting to be rude, but can't the second prayer be just "O Lord! Protect us!"? Aren't all the possible sides implied?

 

[Gaura Priya]

Hmm, i often find pre-created prayers to lose the feeling that i see as required to speak with God. One should speak words from the "heart" and not from the "memory", in my humble opinion.

If you want to chant a prayer i believe you could possibly make adaptations to already existing prayers. Of course it would take work to do so.

Also, not wanting to be rude, but can't the second prayer be just "O Lord! Protect us!"? Aren't all the possible sides implied?

Baha'is generally recite the prayers written by the Prophets (the Bab and Baha'u'llah), because they are part of Baha'i Scripture. I guess it would be akin to how the old Roman Catholic churches would chant their Our Father in Latin, or Anglican plainsong Mass.

They are welcome also to recite prayers from the heart like Christians do, but Baha'i Prayers are pretty beautiful!

 

[BruceDLimber]

I frequently chant prayers (in English), and the chorales I'm in often sing prayers!

Bruce

 

[Levite]

I am wondering if any of you chant or sing your prayers in your worship or devotional time?

I myself am trying to chant in English, but it is kind of difficult when there hasn`t really been a developed English tradition of chanting prayers.

Yeah, I could see how chanting in English might need some development of technique.

I sing or chant the majority of my prayers, as do most traditional Jews. There are minhagei nuscha'ot ha-t'filah, orlongstanding traditions of musical styles, tunes, and melodic lines for the formal liturgy in every Jewish community.

I personally love singing and chanting prayer. Hearing it and learning the music of it are some of my most cherished childhood memories, and I started acting as a shaliach tzibur li-t'filah (public prayer leader) as soon as I had my bar mitzvah and qualified to do so.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

I enjoy singing, and find it to be extremely spiritually fulfilling. I once heard someone say that people don't sing enough, and I would tend to agree.

 

[Gaura Priya]

I enjoy singing, and find it to be extremely spiritually fulfilling. I once heard someone say that people don't sing enough, and I would tend to agree.

There is something awe-inspiring about singing your prayers... but I guess it is hard to do so in a Christian context. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews and Baha'is all have this wonderful tradition of chanting the prayers, and that often brings one to bask in those sacred melodies.

Singing is a very spiritual thing, I believe, and it is definitely a ladder to heaven!

 

[Gaura Priya]

Yeah, I could see how chanting in English might need some development of technique.

I sing or chant the majority of my prayers, as do most traditional Jews. There are minhagei nuscha'ot ha-t'filah, orlongstanding traditions of musical styles, tunes, and melodic lines for the formal liturgy in every Jewish community.

I personally love singing and chanting prayer. Hearing it and learning the music of it are some of my most cherished childhood memories, and I started acting as a shaliach tzibur li-t'filah (public prayer leader) as soon as I had my bar mitzvah and qualified to do so.

I think the only form of so-called English chanting I have ever heard is the Anglican 'plainsong' chanting of Mass. It is very beautiful, and I remember attending the local High Mass at an Anglican parish here.

There is something spiritual about chanting prayers... I really hope that there is some existent English technique out there!

I have only heard Jewish chanting of prayers very briefly, and I hope that I visit a synagogue one of these days!

 

[GabrielWithoutWings]

If you haven't already done so, I strongly suggest checking Orthodox Christianity's use of Byzantine style chant.

Like this:

[youtube]k_G2jgGQjUY[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_G2jgGQjUY

and this:

[youtube]21tJmsZ_w_A[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21tJmsZ_w_A

Also, let's not forget Old Roman:

[youtube]lhY_N7lp0jE[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhY_N7lp0jE

 

[Nerthus]

I love singing. Any form of worship has always meant more to me when done in song.

 

[Engyo]

In our buddhist tradition, certain opening and closing parts of the ceremonies are 'sung'. Prayers are spoken aloud; sometimes recited and sometimes original for that occasion.

We 'chant' portions of the Lotus Sutra (sometimes in english) and also our mantra.

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

I am wondering if any of you chant or sing your prayers in your worship or devotional time?

I myself am trying to chant in English, but it is kind of difficult when there hasn`t really been a developed English tradition of chanting prayers.

Here are two examples of Baha'i prayers that are chanted.


[youtube]h4U5OMo4kqU[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4U5OMo4kqU

[youtube]byFqPo79jJM[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byFqPo79jJM

When I was Eastern Orthodox Christian, that was a debate that was held by the church, was should the chants be done in English? Due to the Byzantine notation, it tended to sound different, and made it hard to be done. As a Buddhist, I've noticed that the chants done in English are much easier than the Byzantine or Gregorian chants, or even from the ones I've studied in Islam and Judaism. Buddhist chanting seems to be the best form for English chants, while other religions tend to have a hard time with it.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

I like to chant. Kemetics have chants, but I prefer to write my own. I don't do any Buddhist chants, choosing instead to simply meditate, but I do like listening to audio tapes of some.

As for Gnostic themed chants. Since I lean toward Christian Gnosticism I sometimes say the Rosary, but I usually omit the sorrowful and joyful mysteries, because they're too "Orthodox" for my taste. I have my own take on the luminous and glorious mysteries.

Here is a Kemetic chant I wrote

Sekhmet-Mut, lady of plague

Sekhmet-Mut, in garments of red

Sekhmet-Mut, queen of the throne

Sekhmet-Mut, please bless my home.


I am currently working on a more extensive Kemetic prayer that involves Hathor as well, since Hathor is also Sekhmet.

I also enjoy the Om Gan Ganapati Namo Namah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JHkJB5g0P0

 

[Gaura Priya]

If you haven't already done so, I strongly suggest checking Orthodox Christianity's use of Byzantine style chant.

You know, the first time I heard those, I did not recognise that they were chanting in English!

But that is amazingly beautiful! Hopefully I could find resources eventually online to see how they developed that style into English liturgy!

 

[Gaura Priya]

When I was Eastern Orthodox Christian, that was a debate that was held by the church, was should the chants be done in English? Due to the Byzantine notation, it tended to sound different, and made it hard to be done. As a Buddhist, I've noticed that the chants done in English are much easier than the Byzantine or Gregorian chants, or even from the ones I've studied in Islam and Judaism. Buddhist chanting seems to be the best form for English chants, while other religions tend to have a hard time with it.

Yeah, at the moment in the Baha'i world, English chanting of prayers is either done a) freestyle, b) in some pre-created melody, or c) gospel freestyle.

Would you have any examples on hand on Buddhist chanting in English (is it not sung in one tone only, like the Japanese? Although the Chinese have their musical chanting of Pureland prayers)? That would be wonderful to hear over here! I also haven't heard any Islamic or Jewish chanting in English either, so such is somewhat completely new to me!

 

[Gaura Priya]

Here is another example of western Baha'i style of chanting... although there is no actual style yet.

[youtube]WfELvuIhXR4[/youtube]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfELvuIhXR4

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

Yeah, at the moment in the Baha'i world, English chanting of prayers is either done a) freestyle, b) in some pre-created melody, or c) gospel freestyle.

Would you have any examples on hand on Buddhist chanting in English (is it not sung in one tone only, like the Japanese? Although the Chinese have their musical chanting of Pureland prayers)? That would be wonderful to hear over here! I also haven't heard any Islamic or Jewish chanting in English either, so such is somewhat completely new to me!

I don't know of any place on the web (like Youtube) offhand that would have examples of Buddhist chants in English, but I do have some on my computer. A good bit of it does tend to be monotone, but there are some that are not. And yeah, the best example of non-monotone chants would be the Pure Land, who also use musical instruments in their chanting, and it's quite beautiful, and I have heard some in English. I have never heard Jewish chants in English, I'm not even sure they do, and I know that Muslims chant only in Arabic.

 

[Engyo]

Would you have any examples on hand on Buddhist chanting in English (is it not sung in one tone only, like the Japanese? Although the Chinese have their musical chanting of Pureland prayers)? That would be wonderful to hear over here! I also haven't heard any Islamic or Jewish chanting in English either, so such is somewhat completely new to me!

Yes, our Buddhist chanting in english is monotone. Some of the shomyo are 'sung' to a tune, but it is different than you probably expect. I can't check youtube from work, so I will have to post some links at a later time.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

I would personally prefer the Buddhist chants in their native Asian languages, just because I'm a big traditionalist when it comes to Buddhism. A lot of western Buddhism doesn't go over well with me, but I am learning to be less closed minded about it.

 

[uu_sage]

I pray prayers or use singing as prayer. As someone once said, "Those who sing pray twice" My prayers in song include the Ave Maria, the Panis Angelicus, The Lord's Prayer, Taize chants like Dona Nobis Pacem, The Gloria in excelcis deo, Lord, Listen to your children praying, Precious Lord, take my hand, Day by Day, Guide my Feet, There is more love somewhere. I'll also sing pieces like Abide with Me, or Shalom Chaverim.