Liturgy of St. James - CD

This liturgy has appeared in a variety of forms in the Eastern churches that have used it over the centuries. The Greek text dates from the 16th century. It was used quite extensively throughout the Byzantine world but it gradually ceded first place to the Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great. Today, it is used only occasionally among the Orthodox, in a Greek style, only on the feast of St. James in Jerusalem, on the island of Zakynthos, and in a few other places. The hymn, Let All Mortal Flesh, sung at the Great Entrance of the Eucharistic Gifts, is used in most Orthodox churches during Holy Week at the Divine Liturgy on Holy Saturday morning.

The edition used for this recording contains modifications and reflects the Byzantine influences that color the Eastern Orthodox usage. The original texts are found in the editions of Vladimirova (1938), of Grottaferrata (1970), in the Georgian versions edited by Tarchnisvili (1950), and the Aristedes Panotis edition published in Athens (1986). We also consulted the various versions given by Brightman in his Liturgies Eastern and Western, Volume 1, Eastern Liturgies (Clarendon Press).