User:Csernica/Sandbox/Canon (hymnography)

A canon is a structured hymn used in a number of Eastern Orthodox services. It consists of nine odes, sometimes called canticles or songs depending on the translation, based on compositions (also called odes) found in the Bible and with one exception, the Old Testament.

The canon dates from the 7th century and was devised as a replacement for the kontakion by St. Andrew of Crete, whose penitential canon is still used on certain occasions during Great Lent. It was further developed in the 8th century by St. John of Damascus and St. Cosmas of Jerusalem.

Performance
As with all other Orthodox church music, a canon is sung by a choir or cantor in a cappella chant. An ode of the canon is begun by singing the Biblical ode from its beginning. At some point this is interrupted by an introductory verse called an irmos, "link", which poetically connects it to the subject of the canon. Following the irmos and sung alternately with the subsequent verses of the ode are a series of short hymns or troparia set in the same melody and meter as the irmos, that expand on its theme. The ode is completed with a final verse called katavasia, which might or might not be present depending on the service and occasion, and which also varies accordingly. It might be a repetition of the irmos, the irmos of the second canon when more than one canon is being sung together, the irmos of the canon for an upcoming major feast day, or some other verse prescribed by the service books. (Katavasia means "coming down" and the verse is so called because as originally performed the two choirs would descend from their places on the left and right kliroi to sing it together in the middle of the church.)

Most often odes one through nine are all sung with the exception of ode two; there are therefore only eight odes sung in most canons. Ode two has an extremely penitential theme, so it is only sung during Matins on certain weekdays during Great Lent. At these times the services call for the singing of three odes only. (The book containing the changeable portions of services for Lent is called the Triodion in consequence.) Because of this canons that are not sung at this time often do not have have irmoi or troparia of ode two composed for them.

When a full canon is sung, between odes three and four a sedalen or "sitting hymn" is sung. Between odes six and seven a vestigal kontakion with only its prooimion, or initial verse, and the first oikos or strophe. This order is rearranged somewhat if an akathist is sung along with the canon.

Modern performance
In modern practice the Biblical odes are not actually sung and the extremely penitential ode two is omitted entirely except during Matins on the weekdays of Great Lent. However, at those times only three odes of the canon are actually sung, and which odes are sung vary from day to day. In token of this, the book containing the changeable portions of services for Lent is called the Triodion.

Instead, the ode begins with the irmos. The troparia that follow are each introduced by a stikhos, in this case taking the form of a short refrain which is again determined by the subject of the canon. For example, in a Canon of the Resurrection the refrain is, "Glory, O Lord, to thy holy Resurrection"; in a Canon to the Most Holy Theotokos the refrain is, "Most Holy Theotokos, save us"; and in the most general case it is "Glory to thee our God, glory to thee." For the last one or two troparia, the refrain is replaced by the doxology "Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen." However, during Matins the Magnificat, which forms half of ode nine, is usually sung in its entirety before the irmos.

The total number of troparia is determined by local usage. Theoretically there are as many as fourteen for each ode with some troparia repeated if the service books do not prescribe enough of them and some conjoined if there are too many. This makes the canon far too lengthy for parish use, so more often no more than three troparia are sung regardless of how many troparia or canons are prescribed.

Although it is intended that the troparia be sung this is impractical in most cases, so it is usually only done on Pascha. They are most often read recto tono by a single reader as are the refrains that preceed them. Often two readers will read the verses and troparia anitphonally.

Usage
Canons are used most notably at Matins, but also at the Midnight Office; at Compline; and at special services such as the Paraclesis and those of similar structure such as the Panakhida, Trisagion, or Molieben, although it is often vestigal in the latter examples. It may also be used in private prayer either as a regular part of a rule or for special needs. One traditional prayerful preparation for reception of the Eucharist is to read three canons and an akathist the evening prior. When used privately there is generally no attempt at an elaborated musical or metrical performance.

Poetic and musical structure
The Biblical odes were not identical metrically, and so although all the music is performed in the same mode each ode must comprise an individual composition. However, in the original Greek compostitions, the irmos and troparia would by design be of the same meter and so could use the same melody. Acrostics would often be present as well, read down a canon's irmoi and troparia. The meter and acrostic would be given along with the canon's title.

This structure is now generally lacking in more recently composed canons, especially when the canons are composed in languages other than Greek to some setting other than Byzantine chant, and since it is now expected that large portions of the canon will be read rather than sung. Although some newer canons also contain acrostics, they are less frequent than they once were.

Texts
The nine odes may be found in any properly constituted Orthodox Psalter, and they are:
 * 1) The Ode of Moses in Exodus (Exodus 15:1-19)
 * 2) The Ode of Moses in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 32:1-43)
 * 3) The Prayer of Anna the mother of Samuel the Prophet (1 Kings 2:1-10)
 * 4) The Prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet (Habakkuk 3:2-19)
 * 5) The Prayer of Isaiah the Prophet (Isaiah 26:9-20)
 * 6) The Prayer of Jonah the Prophet (Jonah 2:3-10)
 * 7) The Prayer of the Three Holy Children (Daniel 3:26-56)*
 * 8) The Song of the Three Holy Children (Daniel 3:57-88)*
 * 9) The Song of the Theotokos (The Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55) and the Prayer of Zacharias the father of the Forerunner (The Benedictus, Luke 1:68-79)


 * *These odes are found only in the Septuagint.

Collections of irmoi for various occasions are found in the Irmologion, one of the standard service books of the Orthodox Church.