Dear Brother Priests, Deacons and Subdeacons, Consecrated Men and Women, Lay Faithful
Please find below an important message from Fr Geoffrey Abdallah, Secretary for the Maronite Inter-Eparchial Music Commission for English Language. Please note that [Liturgical Rites 2016, 2021, 2025.pdf] has the complete updated version of all our liturgical ritual hymns.
+ Gregory
Dear Pastors and Music/Choir directors,
The Inter-Eparchial Music Commission has been working on additional hymns for Hosanna Sunday and Holy Week, which have been uploaded on the maronitemusic.org website.
These include:
Hosanna Sunday Litany and 8 new hymns for the procession: Instead of singing the same hymns year after year, choirs are encouraged to learn some of these new English adaptations, many of which are based on Syriac texts and melodies.
For Good Friday, the well-known Passion Litany - "I am A Mother Filled With Grief" (Ana el Oom el Hazeena) has finally been completed, and "As Mary Walks, Her Eyes Are Filled" (TaHadat walidam’i).
Regarding "I am A Mother Filled With Grief,”: it is heavily embellished and improvised in Arabic (which may be difficult for English singers), and so I have provided a guide. Please read the introductory notes to the hymn.
An important reminder that the majority of hymns for Holy Week and Easter liturgies have been previously uploaded on the website PDF "Liturgical Music for the Maronite Church”. I have attached this PDF for your convenience.
I pray that these new Syriac/Arabic hymns in English will not only enrich our beautiful Maronite liturgical celebrations, but also help us enter into the Mystery of the salvific death and resurrection of our Lord and God.
Fr. Geoffrey