Song of Degrees

Song of Degrees, Song of Steps, Gradual Psalms, Song of Ascents (Hebrew: שיר המעלות, Shir Hama'aloth) or Hymn of Degrees is a title given to fifteen of the Psalms, that each starts with the words "Shir Hama'alot" (A Song of Ascents) and which are numbered 120–134 in the Masoretic recension (119–133 in the Septuagint). The probable origin of this name is the circumstance that these psalms came to be sung by the people on the ascents or goings up to Jerusalem to attend the three pilgrim festivals (]

Christian liturgy

The liturgical use of these psalms came into Christianity through its Jewish roots. The form of the Scriptures used in the Early Church, at least so far as the Old Testament was concerned, was primarily the Septuagint. In the Septuagint, these psalms are numbered 119–133.

Many early hermits observed the practice of reciting the entire Psalter daily, coenobitic communities would chant the entire Psalter through in a week, so these psalms would be said on a regular basis, during the course of the Canonical hours.

Eastern Christianity

In the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite, the Songs of Degrees make up the Eighteenth Kathisma (division of the Psalter), and are read on Friday evenings at Vespers throughout the liturgical year. The Kathisma is divided into three sections (called "stases") of five psalms each.

During Great Lent the Eighteenth Kathisma is read every weekday (Monday through Friday evening) at Vespers, and on Monday through Wednesday of Holy Week. In the Slavic usage this Kathisma is also read from the apodosis of the Exaltation of the Cross up to the forefeast of the Nativity of Christ, and from the apodosis of Theophany up to the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. The reason for this is that the nights are longer in winter, especially in the northern latitudes, so during this season three Kathismas will be chanted at Matins instead of two, so in order to still have a reading from the Psalter at Vespers, the Eighteenth Kathisma is repeated.

Anavathmoi

At Matins on Sundays and feast days throughout the year, special hymns called "anavathmoi" (Greek: άναβαθμοί, from βαθμός, 'step'; Slavonic: "stepénnyi") are chanted immediately before the prokeimenon and Matins Gospel. These anavathmoi are compositions based upon the Hymns of Degrees, and are written in the eight tones of Byzantine chant. The Anavathmoi for each tone consists of three "stases" or sets of verses (sometimes called antiphons), except for Tone 8 which has four stases. On Sundays, the anavathmoi are chanted according to the tone of the week; on feast days which do not fall on Sunday, the Avavathmoi almost always consist of the first stasis in Tone 4 (based on Psalm 128). [Citation
last =Kallistos (Ware)
first =Archimandrite
author-link =Timothy Ware
last2=Mary
first2=Mother
author2-link=
contribution =
year =1969
publication-date=1984
title =The Festal Menaion
editor-last =
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page =549
place =London
publisher =Faber and Faber
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isbn =0-571-11137-8
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Symbolically, the anabathmoi are chanted as a reminder that Christians are ascending to the Heavenly Jerusalem, and that the spiritual intensity of the service is rising as we approach the reading of the Gospel.

Western Christianity

The Western Daily Office was strongly influenced by the Rule of St. Benedict, where these psalms are assigned to Terce, Sext and None on weekdays. Over the centuries, however, various schedules have been used for reciting the psalms. In the modern Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church, the Gradual Psalms are read at daytime prayer on solemnities, except for certain solemnities of the Lord and during the octave of Easter and those solemnities falling on Sunday. [Citation
last =
first =
author-link =
last2=
first2=
author2-link=
contribution =Plan for the Distribution of the Psalms in the Office
year =February 2, 1971
publication-date=
title =General Instruction for the Liturgy of the Hours
editor-last =
editor-first =
editor-link=
edition=
volume =
series =
pages =
place =
publisher =The Catholic Liturgical Library
id =
isbn =
url = http://www.catholicliturgy.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/documentText/Index/2/SubIndex/39/ContentIndex/27/Start/2
accessdate = 2008-05-18]

Jewish World: Present Day Application

It is traditional to say Psalms 126:1-6, 145:21, 115:18, 118:1, and 106:2 [ http://www.headcoverings-by-devorah.com/ShirHaMaalot_SongOfAcents.htm] before one begins the Birkat Hamazon on the Sabbath Day and on Jewish Holidays

References

External links

* [http://zemirotdatabase.org/view_song.php?id=112 Recordings of musical settings, hebrew text, translation, transliteration on The Zemirot Database]
* [http://ison.squarespace.com/music-library/Paraklesis.PDF Anabathmoi, Tone 4] (in English, set to modern musical notation)