Location

This festive hymn, recited during the Feasts of the Lord, was composed in a town named “Singar” at the delta of the Nile in Egypt, which dates to the time of Ramsees II.  It was one of the main Bishoprics in the Lower Egypt (i.e. North of Egypt), and it is where 3 of our  Patriarchs called home as monks: Pope Khristodoulos (66th Pope of Alexandria), Pope Kyrillos II (known as the Singary), and Pope (Michael) Khail II. The town of Singar was flooded by the Nile river in 1113 A.D., where Lake Burullus now sits, and its inhabitants and their belongings were displaced and destroyed.  This hymn is the only preserved historical memorial of the town.  The buildings, people, and even writings are destroyed, yet the hymns of the Church persevere from generation to generation, alive in our chanting mouths.

What’s the rationale for naming hymns after their places of origin?

• It is a way of differentiating hymns, by calling attention to where they originated, or became popular.

• Just as we sometimes refer to people by their place of origin to differentiate them, so too we do with hymns

• The location of a stage where musicians used to stand was called “Orchestra”, which literally translates to a “hole” or “ditch” – referring to the lower, hidden location of the singers.  Later, musicians came to be known by the phrase “orchestra” as it was the location where their music originated.

Authorship

Is it possible that one of these 3 Patriarchs who called Singar home as monks composed this hymn? It is difficult to tell with certainty, but the hymnal composition of the Singary Psalm has its roots in Coptic music, as many parts in its composition are similar in composition to other Coptic hymns. The Fathers of the Church who composed many hymns denied themselves, and in so doing, refused to take credit for any of their compositions.  Their foremost concern was the spiritual growth of their children, and their enjoyment of the spirituality of the hymns.  In so doing, the Church Fathers have left us melodies by which we can contemplate the words of hymns and their spiritual benefit.

Musical Composition

The singary tune was preserved in the 2 groups of “Allelulia’s” the one in the beginning of the hymn, and the one at the very end.  The first group of Alleluias, the 3 at the beginning, have a solemn, quiet musical tune relative to the ending group of Alleluias.  The tune is reminiscent of the playing of instruments to gather people’s attention right before a major announcement was to be made by an authority.  It’s as if the Church Fathers are saying “listen up, something important is about to be proclaimed”.

The first Alleluias are followed by the psalm of the day.  The tune of the psalm is rather complex and full of rhythmic and scale modulations.  The words of the psalm cover a wide spectrum of notes starting from the lower notes in the beginning, into the middle notes in the second part, then slowly goes into higher notes, to end with a group of tonal ornaments in the word Alleluia which repeats as an expression of joyful rejoicing, because this tune is specific to festal services

As the hymn progresses to the end, the tone rises sharply, as if to pull the believers out of the flood and drowning of sin.

This hymn, as much as any hymn in the Coptic Church, has many changes in tune, pace, tempo and rhythm.  This is especially evident in the end of the hymn, where its words follow a fast tempo, and are sung in rapid succession: “ari eten entoten entati nak en han ethnos…”.  This is where the term “rap” came from—the words repeating right after each other quickly, combining a fast beat with a musical tune. This is representative of the ancient Coptic music of that age.  In the book “5000 years of Egyptian Art” by Tharwat Okasha, the Copts of that age are credited with the creation of rhythmical music: where clapping, musical shakers, and words sung in a rhythmical pattern became popular.  It was the combination of rhythmic tempo and musical tone that set Church hymnology apart in those days, before which it was not typical of music to contain both a rhythmical beat and musical intonation.

The second group of Alleluias (2) is a rising crescendo of joyous tune.  This crescendo is a key musical component in this hymn, as it is sung only during the most festive occasions in the Church.  No other Church hymn has a rise in tune and rhythm in such a short duration!  The tune is representative of the joy that we share in the message of the Psalm Response of  whichever feast we happen to be celebrating when this is sung. In the case of the Nativity, that joyous tune is a natural emotional response to the words that preceded it: “Jesus Christ the Son of God was born of the Virgin in Bethlehem of Judea according to the prophetic voices.”  The shear joy of the birth of our Savior is expressed in this group of Alleluias.

The words of the psalm

You are my son

We as Christians attribute our heritage to the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ the Messiah. Our faith is experienced and celebrated through the revelation and birth of a prophesied newborn Child, God's plan for our achievement of salvation. The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ is mysterious and yet glorious. It is of One Divine Nature. A Divinity older than the creation that has no beginning and no end. It is full of awe and yet full of reverence to those present at His Holy birth and today in the hearts of the faithful believers. Yes, we believe, the Lord Jesus Christ is begotten of the Father beyond time and without change. Let us examine this.

The phrase "sons of God" is used frequently to denote the saints, the children of God, or men eminent for rank and power; but the term "The Son of God" is not appropriated in the Scriptures to anyone but the Messiah. It does not occur before this in the Old Testament, and it occurs only once after this, Daniel 3:25 – where Nebuchadnezzar marveled at what he saw in the fiery furnace. The true sense, therefore, according to the Hebrew usage, and according to the proper meaning of the term, is, that He sustained a relation to God which could be compared only with that which a son among men sustains to his father; and that the term, as thus used, fairly implies an equality in nature with God himself. It is such a term as would not be applied to a mere man nor to the angels as we hear in the Pauline Epistle  (Hebrews 1:5); and therefore it must imply a nature superior to either. This brings us to our Orthodox view of Christ’s Nature: “the One Nature of God the Incarnate Logos” as Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril taught us.

It is also noteworthy that in the Praxis reading for the Feast, St. Paul uses the same words of the Psalm in Acts 13:33 in reference to Christ’s Resurrection.  This is a subject of great importance to our faith, and of the conversion of the Jews, for whose use the Pauline Epistle we read (Hebrews) was sent by God. Here is the rock on which they split; they deny this Divine Sonship of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The certainty of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus refutes this, and in so doing, proves His miraculous conception and, declares Him to be the Son of God.

Today I have begotten you

This is in reference to the "eternal generation" of Christ, meaning that he was "begotten" from eternity; that is, that His Divine nature was an emanation from the Father, and that this is from eternity. The language, in the connection in which it is found, demonstrates that He had a pre-existence, since it is addressed to Him as the result of a decree or covenant made with Him by God. The words "this day" would naturally refer to that time when this "decree" (Psalm 2:6-7) was made, or this covenant formed; and as that was before the creation of the world, it must imply that He had an existence then. The Son of God is begotten from the Father and likewise as the sun does not exist without bearing light so neither does the Father exist without the Son. He is of the Divine One and called the Son of the Most High God. He came down from  Heaven and assumed flesh. He clothed Himself with it from St. Mary.  

His birth on Earth was not His actual beginning, as the Lord Jesus Christ is without beginning. He has existed forever, for all times. From the very beginning the Incarnation was planned.

This is the reason we recite in the Nicene Creed, “Begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God.” Cleary we understand that He was born a Man, “for He became flesh.” He was like the earthly humans, but without sin, dwelling among us. He was born both as God and Man never denying His Divinity. The two are united without confusion between them. God has entered earthly history as a man. Thus with understanding we recite, “Begotten not created, of one essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made; Who for us, men, and for our salvation, came down from Heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary, and became man” in the Nicene Creed.

The truths expounded in the Nicene Creed help us understand how the Word became Man and how the miracle of His birth or His incarnation came to be. Further, the Church Creed explains what happened to establish the truth. With the establishing and understanding of the truth, comes the opening of the age to come, the Kingdom of Heaven to us all – the subject of the next verse of the Psalm. 

The kingdom of Heaven is founded upon an eternal decree of God the Father. This our Lord Jesus often referred to, as what He governed himself by. The Son, in asking the nations, meaning us, for His inheritance, desires our happiness in Him.  This is apparent in our Lord Jesus Christ’s mission on earth. He pleads for us (John 17). He sacrificed Himself for our sakes, that we may enter with Him into His Kingdom.  We as Christians, redeemed by His Life-giving death, are the possession of the Lord Jesus; as He was incarnate and became Man for this very reason: our salvation and entry into His Kingdom.