SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

Cairo Hungarian ethnomusicologist Dr. Margit Toth undertook the exquisite musical transcriptions, under Moftah’s direction. This project alone took thirty years. Moftah has devoted most of his long life to the preservation of the significant Coptic musical heritage. Without this authentic sound of the Christian Nile there is no Coptic worship. The Western Coptologist or the Copt of the lands of emigration who does not understand Coptic Music mediated by Moftah does not understand the Copts at all. The Music is related solely to Coptic and Arabic. It cannot be successfully sung in English or any European language and the attempt Press 1998). The 1. Coptic Mini-Conference 2001: In an effort to promote Coptic Studies, the Society is planning to hold a smaller version of its annual conference. This is designed to be more frequent and less formal in format. The first one is planned for Saturday, December 22, 2001, at the Los Angeles Coptic Center. More details will be posted on our website. 2. Midnight Psalmody: COEPA has produced the third title of Audio-remastered works of the late Ragheb Moftah's monumental work. This new title is a 4-CD (Audio) edition of the Coptic Midnight Psalmody. This nearly 4-hours of recording would complete the trilogy of the majestic Coptic Sacred music. The latest set includes all the necessary components of the Midnight Hymnology for the Sunday Office. It also includes many of the long beautiful hymns that many of us rarely or ever hear in our churches these days. A bonus computer CD was included, containing a PDF version of a text of the Psalmodia in Coptic with parallel Arabic and English translations. A true monumental preservation effort. Within the US, it is available through the Society, except for the Diocese of the Southern States. 3. Other COEPA Products: The society has copies on-hand of all other COEPA-produced CDs, including Multimedia Computer CDs and Coptic Music Audio CD sets. For cost information consult the enclosed Book/CD list.

ought not to be made. It is an act of cultural barbarism. Dr. Moftah’s death after so long a life left all those concerned with Coptic language and culture bereft, though it was clear that even those who live longest will be called home. To give thanksgiving for Ragheb Moftah’s ascendancy in the field of cultural and theological studies, the writer has been spending time with the musical text of the Liturgy, in Arabic, Coptic and English. It is an indispensable work of gift and disclosure. The gift is that of the beauty of holiness in music, and the disclosure is of a trustworthy and genuine expression of history, culture and spirituality among the Copts. 4. Coptic Computer CD: The first Coptic Language CD, Coptic CD Vol. 1 is still available. A brief description as well as a demo is accessible through the Society's website. A custom CD-R copy can be made f r any of the four major modules of the CD: Coptic- Bohairic Lessons, Bohairic-English Dictionary, Annual Bohairic-English Lectionary for the Days, or Bohairic- Sahidic-English-Greek New Testament. The cost will be $20 for the Lessons or the New Testament and $12 for the dictionary or the Lectionary. Members would receive a 20% discount. 5. Books Available Through the Society: The Society has a fair collection of books, dealing with Coptic Art, History, Hagiography, Literature, and Language. Consult the enclosed Book/CD list for titles and prices. 6. Bulletin of the Society: The sixth and final volume of the Annual Bulletin of the Society is in print. It included 7 selected papers from the proceedings of the Second Coptic Conference and the Second Coptic Symposium on Monasticism, held at UCLA in 1999, and 2000, respectively. The volume was dedicated to the memory of Prof. Paul van Moorsel of Leiden. Dues-Paying members will be receiving their copy in the mail soon. Copies of this volume are available to non-members for $5.00 each. For copies of earlier volumes, consult the enclosed Book/CD list. Deacon

News (by Hany N. Takla)

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

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