Common Ground Song 69 ‘Kyrie Eleison’
Words: ancient liturgy / Music: Ukrainian traditional
YouTube Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWqwh2dbYcw
Featured image: Ukrainian choir. © Peter Kravchenko cc-by-sa/4.0
This is the first of two settings in one week of the ancient Greek words of penitence: Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison. I picked them for the first full week of Lent because they seem appropriate for this season of penitence. The words form part of the eucharistic rite in several Christian traditions, including the Church of England (usually in English, ‘Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy’).
As with all such short texts, the words are best sung slowly and repeatedly to let their significance sink in and become true worship. We ask Jesus, as Lord (the one with power and authority) and Christ (the one anointed to redeem us), to pour out upon us his mercy. Not just in the sense of forgiveness of sin (though that is part of it), but also to bear with us in times of distress, to support us where we feel weak or inadequate, and to make allowance for our limited understanding of the world we live in. This also refers back to Sunday’s sermon (see my separate post ‘casting out fear’). Lord, have mercy on us in all our fears, shame and unworthiness. The notes on suggested use therefore recommend it for either the confession or intercessions.
The setting used here is a Ukrainian Orthodox one. As with all Eastern European choral music, there are rich harmonies in the four-part setting, with a deceptive simplicity. The sopranos sing a haunting melody, the altos follow them a third lower, the tenor line is particularly easy to sing, having just two alternating notes, while the basses have three. But together they produce a wonderful sound.
‘Common Ground’ was published many years before the outbreak of the current war in Ukraine, where the Orthodox faith is being used by Russia as part of its territorial claim (the Russian church traces its origins to Kyiv in the 10th century). In fairness, many people living in the east of Ukraine are Russian speakers and belong to the Orthodox faith, whereas those in the west of the country are mainly Catholic. But our spiritual unity in Christ must be stronger than historic or cultural differences. The cry for his mercy, uttered by people of all faiths in time of war, goes beyond politics and straight to the heart of God. May he have mercy on all his people, end this war of aggression, and bring unity of purpose to the Church, all all sing the Kyries.