Compline: The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge

From the YouTube page:

A service of Compline, sung live by the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, directed by Graham Ross

Recorded in Chapel of Clare College, Cambridge, UK

www.clarecollegechoir.com
www.grahamross.com

Introit: Robert White (1538-1574): 'Christe qui lux es et dies'

Christe qui lux es et dies,
Noctis tenebras detegis,
Lucisque lumen crederis,
Lumen beatum praedicans.

Precamur sancte domine,
Defende nos in hac nocte,
Sit nobis in te requies,
Quietam noctem tribue.

Ne gravis somnus irruat,
Nec hostis nos surripiat,
Nec caro illi consentiens,
Nos tibi reos statuat.

Oculi somnum capiant,
Cor ad te semper vigilet,
Dextera tua protegat
Famulos qui te diligunt.

Defensor noster aspice,
Insidiantes reprime,
Guberna tuos famulos,
Quos sanguine mercatus es.

Memento nostri domine
In gravi isto corpore,
Qui es defensor animae,
Adesto nobis domine.

Deo patri sit gloria,
Ejusque soli filio,
Cum spiritu paraclyto,
Et nunc et in perpetuum. Amen.

Christ, who art the light and day,
You drive away the darkness of night,
You are called the light of light,
For you proclaim the blessed light.

We beseech you, Holy Lord,
Protect us this night.
Let us take our rest in you;
Grant us a tranquil night.

Let our sleep be free from care;
Let not the enemy snatch us away,
Nor flesh conspire within him,
And make us guilty in your sight.

Though our eyes be filled with sleep,
Keep our hearts forever awake to you.
May your right hand protect
Your willing servants.

You who are our shield, behold;
Restrain those that lie in wait.
And guide your servants whom
You have ransomed with your blood.

Remember us, O Lord,
Who bear the burden of this mortal form;
You who are the defender of the soul,
Be near us, O Lord.

Glory be to God the Father,
And to his only Son,
With the Spirit, Comforter,
Both now and evermore. Amen.

Anthem: Josef Rheinberger (1839-1901): 'Abendlied'

Bleib bei uns, denn es will Abend werden, und der Tag hat sich geneiget

Bide with us, for evening shadows darken, and the day will soon be over.

"Psalms 91/121, Prayer of Severus, Praise of Cherubim"

These are some very nice chants posted by "Malankara Syriac Orthodox" at YouTube; this one is actually part of a 22-video playlist, which is well worth listening to all the way through.   The YouTuber writes that these are "Three prayers during the evening prayer."  You can hear the Kyrie at the opening - then the Compline Psalm 91 begins: 



Another YouTuber writes that this is "Sung by Fr. Aju Philip Mathews and Tenny Thomas. © Copyright 2012 Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church."

Here are the texts of the Compline Psalms and the Prayer of Severus, from the website of the Northeast American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church:

Psalm 91

You, that sit in the shelter of the Most High, and abide in glory, in the shadow of God.
Say to the Lord: 'My trust and my refuge; the God in whom I confide.'
For He shall deliver you from the snare of stumbling, and from idle talk.
He shall keep you under His feathers, and by His wings, you shall be covered; and His truth shall encompass you like an armor.
You shall not fear from the terror by night, and from the arrow that flies by the day:
And from the voice that travels in the darkness, and from the devastating wind in the noon.
Thousands shall fall at your side, and ten thousands at your right side. They shall not come near to you, but with your eyes you shall see only; You shall see the revenge of the wicked.
(Since you have said), 'Thou art the Lord, my trust, who hast placed Thy abode in the heights.'
There shall no evil come near to you; neither shall any plague draw near to your dwelling place.
For He shall give His angels command concerning you, who shall protect you in all your ways.
And they shall bear you up in their hands, lest your foot stumble.
You shall tread upon the adder and the basilisk; and you shall trample down the lion and the dragon.
(For the Lord has said): 'Since he has sought me, I will deliver him and strengthen him;'
'Since he has known my name he shall call upon me, and I will answer him, and be with him in affliction.' I will strengthen him and honor him. With long life, will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

Psalm 121

I will lift up my eyes to the mountain, from whence comes my helper.
My help is from the Lord who has made the heaven and the earth.
He will not suffer your foot to tremble; Your keeper shall not slumber:
For neither slumbers, nor sleeps the keeper of Israel.
The Lord is your keeper. The Lord shall overshadow you with His right hand.
The sun shall not smite you by day; nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall take care of you from all evil; the Lord shall take care of your life.
He shall watch over your exit and your entrance, henceforth forever.
And to You belongs the praise O God. Barekmor.
Glory be to the Father...Halleluiah, Halleluiah, Halleluiah now and always and forever Amen.

Prayer of St. Severus

O Lord who sittest in the secret place of the Most High, shelter us beneath the shadow of the wings of Thy mercy, and have compassion upon us.
Thou, who hearest all things, in Thy loving kindness, hearken to the supplications of Thy servants.
Grant us, O Messiah; our Savior; a peaceful evening and a sinless night, for Thou art a glorious king, and unto Thee, are our eyes lifted up.
Forgive our debts and our sins; have mercy upon us, both in this world and in that to come.
May Thy loving kindness shelter us O Lord, and Thy grace be upon our faces. May Thy cross protect us from the evil one and his hosts.
Let Thy right hand overshadow us all the days of our lives, and Thy peace reign among us, do Thou give hope and salvation to the souls that pray to Thee.
By the prayers of St. Mary, Thy Mother, and of all Thy Saints, O God, forgive us our debts, and have mercy upon us. Amen.

Praise of the Cherubim
† Blessed is the Glory of the Lord, from His place forever;
† Blessed is the Glory of the Lord, from His place forever;
† Blessed is the Glory of the Lord; from His place forever and ever.
Holy and glorious Trinity, have mercy upon us;
Holy and glorious Trinity, have mercy upon us;
Holy and glorious Trinity, have compassion and mercy upon us.
Holy art Thou, and glorious forever,
Holy art Thou, and glorious forever,
Holy art Thou, and blessed is Thy Name forever and ever.
Glory be to Thee, O Lord,
Glory be to Thee, O Lord,
Glory be to Thee, ever our hope, Barekmor.

Our Father who art in Heaven ...

Hail Mary, full of grace ...

Barekmor is apparently Syriac for "Bless me, O Lord."


I've posted video from this YouTuber before; s/he points at the YouTube page to the GoogleSite syrianorthodox.

"Malankara" is a designation applied to the Indian Orthodox Church; the connection with the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch is explained in this article:

The Malankara Church is the church of the Saint Thomas Christians of Kerala, India, with particular emphasis on the part of the community that joined Archdeacon Mar Thoma in swearing to resist the authority of the Portuguese Padroado in 1653. This faction soon entered into a relationship with the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, and was thereafter often known as the Malankara Syrian Church^[1] (Malayalam: Malankara Suriyani Sabha).

As part of the Saint Thomas Christian community, the church traced its origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century.^[2] As an independent faction, it originated in the first major split within the Saint Thomas Christian community. Historically, the Thomas Christians had been united in leadership and liturgy, and were part of the Church of the East, based in Persia. However, the collapse of the Church of the East's hierarchy in Asia left the province of India effectively isolated, and through the 16th century, the Portuguese, recently established in Goa, forcefully drew the Thomas Christians into Latin Rite Catholicism. Resentment of these measures led the majority of the community to join the archdeacon, Thoma, in swearing never to submit to the Portuguese in the Coonan Cross Oath. Several months later Thoma was ordained as the first indigenous Metropolitan of Malankara.

I'm assuming that "Severus" is St. Severus of Antioch.

Beautiful chant.....

Anglican Chant XXXIII: Psalm 102 (Domine, exaudi)

A great chant (or two, or three), sung here beautifully by the Choir of Ely Cathedral:



Here's what the YouTuber had to say at the page; the citation includes the words to the Psalm from the Coverdale Psalter:

The Choir of Ely Cathedral, under the direction of David Price & Paul Trepte, sing the hundredth and second Psalm to an Anglican chant for choir and organ. A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions. (1-11) Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church. (12-22) The unchangeableness of God. (23-28)

Text:

Psalm 102. Domine, exaudi

HEAR my prayer, O Lord : and let my crying come unto thee.
2. Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble : incline thine ear unto me when I call; O hear me, and that right soon.
3. For my days are consumed away like smoke : and my bones are burnt up as it were a firebrand.
4. My heart is smitten down, and withered liked grass : so that I forget to eat my bread.
5. For the voice of my groaning : my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh.
6. I am become like a pelican in the wilderness : and like an owl that is in the desert.
7. I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow : that sitteth alone upon the house-top.
8. Mine enemies revile me all the day long : and they that are mad upon me are sworn together against me.
9. For I have eaten ashes as it were bread : and mingled my drink with weeping;
10. And that because of thine indignation and wrath : for thou hast taken me up, and cast me down.
11. My days are gone like a shadow : and I am withered like grass.
12. But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever : and thy remembrance throughout all generations.
13. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion : for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea, the time is come.
14. And why? thy servants think upon her stones : and it pitieth them to see her in the dust.
15. The heathen shall fear thy Name, O Lord : and all the kings of the earth thy majesty;
16. When the Lord shall build up Sion : and when his glory shall appear;
17. When he turneth him unto the prayer of the poor destitute : and despiseth not their desire.
18. This shall be written for those that come after : and the people which shall be born shall praise the Lord.
19. For he hath looked down from his sanctuary : out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth;
20. That he might hear the mournings of such as are in captivity : and deliver the children appointed unto death;
21. That they may declare the Name of the Lord in Sion : and his worship at Jerusalem;
22. When the people are gathered together : and the kingdoms also, to serve the Lord.
23. He brought down my strength in my journey : and shortened my days.
24. But I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of mine age : as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations.
25. Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth : and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure : they all shall wax old as doth a garment;
27. And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed : but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
28. The children of thy servants shall continue : and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight.

Recording available on the disk 'Psalms of David: Vol. 8' (Priory Records UK).
www.prioryrecords.co.uk

At the Priory Records page, the composer listing reads "Ross, Ivor Atkins"; not sure who "Ross" is - perhaps it's R.R.Ross? -  but here's a bit about Ivor Atkins.  Interestingly, the image comes from the Library of Congress:

Sir Ivor Algernon Atkins (29 November 1869 – 26 November 1953) was the choirmaster and organist at Worcester Cathedral for over 50 years (1897-1950). He is well known for editing Allegri's Miserere with the famous top-C part for the treble. He is also well known for The Three Kings, an arrangement of a song by Peter Cornelius as a choral work for Epiphany.

Born into a Welsh musical family at Llandaff, Atkins graduated with a bachelor of music degree from The Queen's College, Oxford in 1892, and subsequently obtained a Doctorate in Music (Oxford). He was assistant organist of Hereford Cathedral (1890-1893) and organist of St Laurence Church, Ludlow from 1893 to 1897.
He composed songs, church music, service settings and anthems. With Edward Elgar he prepared an edition of Bach's St. Matthew Passion. Knighted in 1921 for services to music, Atkins was President of the Royal College of Organists from 1935 to 1936. He died in Worcester.

He was a friend of Edward Elgar, who in 1904 dedicated the third of his Pomp and Circumstance Marches to Atkins.