143. Veličaj duše moja voznesšagosja ot zemlji na nebo Hrista žiznodavca

Theme: Church Songs: Serbian Traditional Church Chanting
Reference: MZA-VT-AV-4.002B_13.55–20.26
Title or incipit: Veličaj duše moja voznesšagosja ot zemlji na nebo Hrista žiznodavca [Magnify, O my soul, Him Who hath ascended from earth to heaven,Christ the Giver of life]
Locality: Battonya/Batanja
Sung by: Choir of male church singers of Serb Orthodox Parish in Battonya
Year: 13. 7. 1958

Comment: Church song, dedicated to Mary Theotokos for the Holiday of Christ Ascension (40 days after Easter). Long (“big“) chant. Such long melismatic melodies are sung in Prelate Hierarchical Divine Liturgy and holiday services. Nowadays they can rarely be heard and chanters that are skilled in such chanting are rare. General similarities to notations of the melographs who noted down so-called “big” chant of Serbian traditional chant, in variants (by S. Mokranjac, Jovan Živković, L. Lera) have been found. Similarities are found more in inicial and final melodic formulae in particular segments of the melody, and differences are in their middle sections, here mainly characterized by rich melismatics; particular differences are seen also on the plane of rhythm. Recording witnesses the living chant heritage and a high vocal culture among Serbs in Battonya (Batanja) in the mid-20th century. At the end, there is a speech of Tihomir Vujičić with gratitudes to the singers/chanters (144).