Mystirion Xenon (Preview)

PROMETHEAN EDITIONS
CHRISTOS HATZIS
Mystirion Xenon
Choir (SATB) and Digital Audio

Christos Hatzis
Mystirion Xenon
Choir (SATB) and Digital Audio
PROMETHEAN EDITIONS
WELLINGTON

Mystirion Xenon (PE112), for Choir (SATB) and Digital Audio by
Christos Hatzis (2011).
© Promethean Editions 2011
First edition © 2014 Promethean Editions Limited (201504)
Series Editor: Ross Hendy
Editor: Brad Jenkins
ISBN: 978-1-877564-17-8 (print)
ISBN: 978-1-77660-112-7 (ebook)
ISMN: 979-0-67452-211-3
Promethean Editions Limited
PO Box 10-143
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
http://www.promethean-editions.com
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by
any means without permission in writing from the Publisher.
PE112 – ii

Christos Hatzis (1953)
Christos Hatzis is well known in Canada and internationally for his works. Covering a
vast range of styles and genres, his works have been recorded, performed and broadcast
throughout the world.
Hatzis was born in Volos, Greece, and his early music study took place at the Hellenic
Conservatory of Greece in his home town. He continued his studies in the United States,
where he earned degrees from Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York and SUNY at
Buffalo, New York. In 1982 he moved to Toronto, Canada, having decided that the country’s
multiculturalism was more suited to his own ethos. He became a Canadian citizen in 1985,
and joined the faculty of the University of Toronto in 1995.
Hatzis’ work has received a considerable amount of attention in recent years. With a large
number of presentations of his music in the Americas, Europe, the Middle-East and East
Asia every year, commissions by an international list of soloists and ensembles and several
recording projects by major labels, “Christos Hatzis is currently enjoying a growing international
reputation as one of the most important composers writing today” (CBC Records). The composer
is the recipient of several national and international distinctions, and a number of his works
are released on CD.
It is not unusual for a Hatzis work to become a signature piece for a soloist or an ensemble.
His Old Photographs and Dance of the Dictators have been performed by the Gryphon Trio
hundreds of times all over the world. There have also been an increasing number of all-Hatzis
programs during the past few years.
Hatzis’ music is inspired by proto-Christian spirituality, his own Byzantine music heritage,
world cultures and various non-classical music genres such as jazz, pop and world music. He
has created several works inspired by the music of the Inuit, Canada’s arctic inhabitants, and
his Inuit-inspired works, particularly the radio documentary Footprints in New Snow, have
PE112 – iii

promoted Inuit culture around the globe. His strongest inspiration is his own religious faith,
and his religious works have been hailed by critics and audiences alike as contemporary
masterpieces.
In addition to composing and teaching, Hatzis has written extensively about composition
and contemporary music. His writings have been published on Interface, Organized Sound
and Harmony, are increasingly translated into other languages and are frequently listed as
required reading for music courses in tertiary educational institutions.
Two of Hatzis’s works – String Quartet No.1: The Awakening (PE117) and Constantinople
– have earned him Juno Awards for Classical Composition of the Year (2006 and 2008,
respectively) by a Canadian composer. In 2008 Hatzis also received the Jan Matejcek Concert
Music Award, awarded to the most performed and broadcast Canadian composer of the year.
In 2010 Hatzis was commissioned by virtuoso violinist Hilary Hahn to write a new work for
violin and piano. The resulting work, Coming To (PE119), appears on Hahn’s album In 27
Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores, which went on to win the 2015 Grammy Award for Chamber
Music / Small Ensemble Performance. A second commission from Hahn soon followed, with
Hatzis writing the hyper-virtuosic Dystopia (PE121) for solo violin.
In 2013 the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra commissioned
Hatzis to score a major new ballet work, Going Home Star: Truth and Reconciliation. Hatzis
collaborated with award-winning aboriginal throat singer Tanya Tagaq, Steve Wood and the
Northern Cree Singers in creating the score for the groundbreaking production. The ballet’s
subject matter is close to the composer’s heart as it confronts the impact of the residential
school system on Canada’s aboriginal young people. Upon premiering in October of 2014,
Going Home Star received critical acclaim.
Most of Hatzis’ writings and other information about the composer can be found at
http://www.hatzis.com.
PE112 – iv

Mystirion Xenon (2011)
Mystirion Xenon (Greek for “Strange Mystery”) is a setting of the Eastern Orthodox nativity
chant by the same title.
Μυστήριον ξένον ορώ και παράδοξον!
ουρανόν το σπήλαιον·
θρόνον Χερουβικον την Παρθένον·
την φάτνην χωρίον εν ὧ ανεκλίθη ο αχώρητος,
Χριστός ο Θεός·
ὁν ανυμνούντες μεγαλύνομεν.
Mystirion ksenon orrho ke paradhokson!
ouranon to spilleon;
thronon Cherouvikon tin Par-thenon;
tin phatnin chorion en o aneklithi o achoritos,
Christos, o Theos;
on anymnountes meghalynomen.
I behold a strange and most wonderful mystery:
the cave has become the heavens;the Virgin the throne of the Cherubim;
the manger a contained space in which
Christ, the uncontainable God, is laid.
Him do we praise and magnify.
Christ is born. Amen.
The composer writes:
One of the most beautiful texts of the Greek Orthodox sacred literature, Mystirion Xenon
has been steadily invading my mind since the first year of my life and has become one of
my favourite chants – I sang it with relish every Christmas Eve, at church and at home.
The first phrase of the chant repeats twice in the tenors, over bass drones, before the entire
chant is heard. When this happens, the tenors and the altos sing the chant in canon at the
interval of a fifth, producing an austere and organum-like quality. This austerity is then
mellowed by a child-like refrain in the sopranos, on the English words “Christ is born.
PE112 – v

Amen.”, creating a cultural-linguistic counterpoint with the age-old chant and suggesting a
contemporary universality which is already hinted at by the cosmic grandeur of the Greek
texts.
This sense of universality is further amplified by the optional digital audio, which consists
of mildly processed saghroutah (Middle-Eastern ululations) and Tibetan overtone singing.
There is an esoteric Christian tradition that has Jesus as a young man studying under
important teachers in Persia, Egypt and as far away as India, from the time of his Bar
Mitzvah ceremony in Jerusalem until his ministry began roughly 18 years later in Galilee
(perhaps the magi who visited him during his birth were among the Master’s teachers).
These pre-recorded sounds comment discreetly on the music of the chant and help to
emphasize the import of an event that transcends the particulars of a system of organized
religion. They hint at a universality which is difficult to describe with words, or even with
musical sounds, although the latter gets closer to its essence than the former.
Mystirion Xenon was commissioned by the Association for Canadian Choral Communities
(ACCC) for the 2012 National Youth Choir of Canada. It received its premiere performance at
the St. James Anglican Church, Orillia, Ontario, Canada, on 12 May 2012.
Performance notes
Due to extensive division of the soprano and alto parts, this work requires a medium to large
choir.
This work is open to reinvention with each performance. In addition to, or instead of, the
musical elements already included in the digital audio cues, performers may incorporate
their own elements into the work, particularly in the sections where the tenors are silent.
These elements may include, but are not limited to, live saghroutah (Middle-Eastern
ululations), Tibetan overtone singing, or didgeridoos tuned to G2. Any number of double
basses and/or cellos may be incorporated, using touch harmonics moving along the G-string
to produce overtones, or to discreetly support the basses with their droning. If several
of these optional vocal and instrumental elements are available for a performance, the
conductor may choose to lengthen the sections between the chant entries (measures 3, 6–8,
15–17, 20, 23–25, 31–35 and 55) for as long as necessary in order to create passages that
elaborate on the meditative theme of the work.
PE112 – vi

General
• All glissandi begin immediately and last for the entire notated duration.
• The fermata at measure 55 should last approximately 22 seconds only if the supplied
digital audio is used. Otherwise, a standard fermata should be used
Sopranos and altos
• In mm.7–13, sing an “ah” sound throughout and close off the mouth with the palm of
the hand when the circles are filled in. When the mouth is closed off, the “ah” sound will
naturally modulate to an “oo” sound.
Basses
• Sing with the mouth almost closed and with a muted vowel. Some of the singers may
hum with a closed mouth.
• During the last four measures of the work, gradually close the mouth completely and
hum quietly.
Audio cues
Eight distinct audio cues, identified as “Audio Cue 1–8”, are provided on compact disc with
the score.
• q Cue point for digital audio. The number above each cue point in the score indicates
which audio cue is to be played.
• Some sections of the work require more than one audio cue to be playing at the
same time. Therefore, the audio cues should be copied to, and played from, audio
software capable of running multiple playheads or triggering multiple tracks to play
independently.
• Due to low-frequency sounds used in the digital audio, a stereo or Surround Sound
system with good low-frequency response is required.
• In performance, the perceived loudness of the audio cues should not overpower the choir.
PE112 – vii

CD tracklist
[1] Audio Cue 1
[2] Audio Cue 2
[3] Audio Cue 3
[4] Audio Cue 4
[5] Audio Cue 5
[6] Audio Cue 6
[7] Audio Cue 7
[8] Audio Cue 8
PE112 – viii

MYSTIRION XENON
Christos Hatzis
Soprano
& Y Y
Π= 60
Œ
∑
∑
1
∑
∑
∑
∑
Alto
Tenor
& Y Y
V Y Y
Œ
mp
œ
∑
œ œ œ œ
∑
œ . ˙
∑
Ó Œ œ
∑
œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
∑
˙
˙
∑
Ó
Bass
4 4 4 ?
Y Y 4 Μυσ
Mys
Œ
-
-
τή
ti
-
-
ρι
ri
- -
- - -
∑
ον
on
ξέ - νον
kse - non
p
w
Hmm
w
ο
or
-
-
ρώ
rho
w
και
ke
πα
pa
-
-
ρά
ra
w
-
-
δο
dho
-
-
ξον!
kson!
w
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
7
& Y Y
& Y Y
& Y Y
& Y Y
& Y Y
& Y Y
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
ppp
ẏ
œ y œ x œ y œ x
a (a) (oo) a (oo)
Ó
2
ppp
˙
# y a
∑
∑
Ó Œ œ y a
∑
ppp
mp
œ y œ x œ y œ x ẏ
a (oo) a (oo) a
mp
œ y œ x œ y œ x œ y œ x œ y œ x
(a) (oo) a (oo) a (oo) a (oo)
ppp
n˙
y œ y œ x œ y œ x
a (a) (oo) a (oo)
Œ
ppp
n˙
y œ y œ x
a
(a) (oo)
mp
œ y œ y œ x œ y œ x œ y œ x
Ó
(a) (oo) a (oo) a (oo)
ppp
˙
# y a
œ
ẏ
.
a
# œ œ nœ
mp
œ y œ x œ y œ x ẏ
a (oo) a (oo) a
mp
œ y œ x œ y œ x œ y œ x œ y
a (oo) a (oo) a (oo) a
œ y œ x ẏ
.
a
(oo) a
œ y œ x œ y œ x mp
œ y œ x œ y œ x
œ
nœ
# ˙ Œ
œ nœ
œ nœ
˙
# œ Œ
ppp
# œ Œ
ppp
# œ Œ
ppp
# ˙. Œ
ẏ
.
3
ppp
ppp
ppp
Œ
A1
& Y Y
∑
∑
∑
(a) (oo) a (oo) a (oo) a (oo)
∑
a
ppp
n˙
y œ y œ x œ y œ x
A2
& Y Y
∑
∑
∑
∑
a (a) (oo) a (oo)
Ó
ppp
˙
n
y
a
A3
& Y Y
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
A4
A5
& Y Y
& Y Y
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
ppp
T
V Y Y
∑
∑
∑
∑
Ó Œ œ y
a
∑
B
?
Y Y
w
(Hmm)
w
w
w
w
Mystirion Xenon © 2011 Promethean Editions Ltd
This Edition © 2014 Promethean Editions Ltd PE112 – 1
ISMN: 979-0-67452-211-3

S
12
& Y Y
∑
∑
4
∑
∑
∑
∑
A1
& Y Y
mp
œ y œ x œ y œ x ẏ
œ
nœ
œ bœ
œ # œ ˙
ppp
˙
Ó
∑
∑
A2
& Y Y
a (oo) a (oo) a
mp
œ
y
œ
x
œ
y
œ
x
œ
y
œ
x
œ
y
œ
x
(a) (oo) a (oo) a (oo) a (oo)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
ẏ
a
.
- - - - - - - - - - -
œ
men
œ œ # ˙
men
ppp
˙
Ó
∑
∑
A3
A4
& Y Y
& Y Y
ppp
ẏ
œ
y
œ
x
œ
y
œ
x
a (a) (oo) a (oo)
Œ
ppp
ẏ
a
œ y
œ x
(a) (oo)
mp
œ
y
œ
x
œ
y
œ
x ẏ
a (oo) a (oo) a
mp
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
a (oo) a (oo) a (oo) a
- - - - - -
- - -
œ œ # ˙
men
˙
men
# ˙
ppp
˙
ppp
˙
Ó
Ó
∑
∑
∑
∑
A5
& Y Y
mp
œ y
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
(a) (oo) a (oo) a (oo)
œ y
œ x
.
ẏ
a (oo) a
- - - - - - - -
# ˙ ˙
men
ppp
˙
Ó
∑
∑
A6
& Y Y
Ó
ppp
# ˙ y
a
mp
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
(a) (oo) a (oo) a (oo) a (oo)
# ˙ ˙
men
ppp
˙
Ó
∑
∑
T
V Y Y
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
Ó
Œ œ
B
?
Y Y
w
w
w
w
w
w
Μυσ -
Mys -
(Hmm)
S
18
& Y Y
∑
5
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
A
& Y Y
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
T
V Y Y
œ œ œ œ
œ œ . ˙
Ó Œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
˙
˙
Ó
∑
B
?
Y Y
τή
ti
w
-
-
ρι
ri
- - -
- - -
ον
on
ξέ
kse
w
-
-
νον
non
w
ο
or
-
-
ρώ
rho
w
και
ke
πα
pa
-
-
ρά
ra
w
-
-
δο
dho
-
-
ξον!
kson!
w
w
(Hmm)
PE112 – 2

S1
25
& Y Y
6
ppp
ẏ
œ y œ x œ y œ x
a (a) (oo) a (oo)
mp
œ y œ x œ y œ x ẏ
a (oo) a (oo) a
œ
nœ
# œ œ
7
ppp
œ ˙ Œ
S2
& Y Y
Ó
ppp
˙
n y a
mp
œ y œ x œ y œ x œ y œ x œ y œ x
ẏ
.
#œ
ppp
œ œ œ Œ
(a) (oo) a (oo) a (oo) a (oo)
a
S3
& Y Y
∑
ppp
ẏ
œ y œ x œ y œ x
mp
œ y œ x œ y œ x ẏ
ppp
œ œ œ Œ
a (a) (oo) a (oo)
a (oo) a (oo) a
S4
& Y Y
ppp
Ó Œ œ
# y a
mp
œ œ y œ x œ y œ x œ y œ x
œ y œ x ẏ
.
ppp
œ ˙ Œ
(a) (oo) a (oo) a (oo)
a (oo) a
S5
& Y Y
∑
Œ
ppp
ẏ
a
œ
y
œ
x
(a) (oo)
mp
œ
y
œ
x
œ
y
œ
x
œ
y
œ
x
œ
y
a (oo) a (oo) a (oo) a
ppp
˙ œ Œ
S6
& Y Y
∑
Ó
ppp
ẏ
a
mp
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
(a) (oo) a (oo) a (oo) a (oo)
ẏ
a
.
ppp
Œ
A1
& Y Y
∑
∑
Ó
ppp
ẏ
a
mp
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
(a) (oo) a (oo) a (oo) a (oo)
A2
& Y Y
∑
∑
∑
ppp
# ˙ y
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
a (a) (oo) a (oo)
A3
& Y Y
∑
∑
∑
Ó
ppp
n˙
y
a
A4
& Y Y
∑
∑
∑
Œ
ppp
# œ y
œ œ y
œ x
a
(a) (oo)
A5
& Y Y
∑
∑
∑
Ó
Œ
ppp
œ y
a
T
V Y Y
∑
∑
∑
∑
B
?
Y Y
w
w
w
w
(Hmm)
PE112 – 3

S
29
& Y Y
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
A1
A2
A3
A4
A5
A6
T
B
& Y Y
& Y Y
& Y Y
& Y Y
& Y Y
& Y Y
V Y Y
?
Y Y
.
ẏ
a
mp
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x ẏ
a (oo) a (oo) a
# œ
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
(a) (oo) a (oo) a (oo) a (oo)
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
a (oo) a (oo) a (oo) a
mp
œ œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
ppp
(a) (oo) a (oo) a (oo)
n˙
y
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ x
a (a) (oo) a (oo)
w
(Hmm)
mp
∑
mp
# œ nœ
œ
ẏ
a
˙
# œ nœ
œ y
œ x
œ y
˙
œ nœ
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
œ
œ œ
œ nœ
a (oo) a - - - - - - men
mp
œ y
œ x
œ y
œ . ẏ
a (oo) a (oo) a
w
- - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - -
∑
nw
men
nw
men
nw
men
nw
men
nw
nw
- - - men
w
∑
w
w
w
w
w
w
w
∑
ppp
ppp
ppp
ppp
ppp
ppp
w
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
Ó
w
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
mp
Œ œ
Μυσ
Mys
-
-
Ó
Ó
Ó
Ó
Ó
Ó
Œ
Œ
Œ
Œ
Œ
Œ
œ
Μυσ
Mys
œ
Μυσ
Mys
œ
Μυσ
Mys
œ
Μυσ
Mys
œ
Μυσ
Mys
œ
Μυσ
Mys
œ œ œ œ
τή
ti
w
- ρι
- ri
-
-
mp
mp
mp
mp
mp
mp
ον
on
S
36
& Y Y
∑
mp bell-like
œ¯
œ¯
œ - . ‰
n¯
œ
œ¯
œ - . ‰
˙- ˙-
˙
Ó
œ¯
œ¯
. œ - ‰
A
T
B
& Y Y
V Y Y
?
Y Y
nœ
œ œ œ
τή
ti
ρι
ri
œ œ œ
ξέ
kse
w
-
-
-
-
(Hmm)
- -
- - -
νον
non
ον
on
j
œ ‰ œ
ο
or
-
-
Christ
œ œ n œ
ξέ
kse
is born,
νον
non
j
œ ‰ œ
ο
or
œ œ œ œ œ
ρώ
rho
w
-
-
και
ke
πα
pa
-
-
-
-
Christ is born.
œ œ œ œ œ
ρώ
rho
και
ke
πα
pa
œ œ j
œ œ œ . ≈
ρά
ra
w
-
-
δο
dho
-
-
ξον!
kson!
-
-
A - - - men.
œ œnœ
j
œ œ .
≈
ρά
ra
δο
dho
ξον!
kson!
œ œ œ œ
ου
ou
w
-
-
-
-
-
-
ρα - νόν
ra - non
το
to
œ œ œ œ
ου
ou
ρα - νόν
ra - non
το
to
œ œ j
œ œ œ . ≈
σπή
spil
w
-
-
-
-
λαι
le
-
-
ον,
on;
Christ is born,
œ œ nœ
j ≈
œ œ .
σπή
spil
λαι
le
ον,
on;
œ œ œ œ
θρό
thro
w
-
-
-
-
νον
non
-
-
Χε - ρου -
Che - rou -
PE112 – 4

S
A
T
B
42
& Y Y
& Y Y
V Y Y
?
Y Y
n¯
œ
œ¯
Christ is
œ - . ‰
born.
œ œ œ nœ
θρό - νον Χε - ρου
thro-non
Che - rou
œ œ œ œ œ
βι
vi
w
-
-
(Hmm)
κόν
kon
την
tin
-
-
˙- ˙-
A
œ
βι
vi
men.
œ œ œnœ
κόν
kon
œ œ œ œ œ
Παρ
Par
w
- -
-
-
- θέ
- the
-
-
την
tin
νον,
non;
˙
œ œ nœ
Παρ
Par
œ
w
- θέ
- the
Ó
œ œ
-
-
Œ Œ œ
νον,
non;
την
tin
œ
∑
Œ Œ ‰ j œ
την
tin
œ œ œ œ
φάτ - νην
phat - nin
w
χω
cho
-
-
nœ
∑
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈ œ
φάτ - νην χω - ρί
phat-nin
cho -ri
œ œ œ
ρί
ri
w
-
-
ον
on
-
-
ον
on
j
œ ‰ œ
εν
en
εν
en
œ¯
œ¯
Christ is born,
œ - . ‰
œ œ œ œ œ œ
ώ
o
α
a
νε -
nek -
œ œ œ œ
ώ
o
w
α
a
-
-
-
-
νε -
nek -
S
A
48
& Y Y œ¯ œ¯ œ - . ‰
Christ is born.
& Y Y œ œ œ œ œ
˙- ˙-
A - - - men.
Christ is born, Christ is born. A - - - men.
j
œ œ œ œ . ≈ œ œ
˙
Ó
œ œ j
œ œ . ≈ œ
œ¯
œ¯
œ - . ‰
œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ¯ œ¯ . œ - ‰
j
œ . ≈œ œ œ
˙- ˙-
œ
œ œ œ œ œ
T
B
V Y Y
?
Y Y
κλί -
li -
θη
thi
œ œ œ
κλί
li
œ
-
-
θη
thi
œ
ο
o
α
a
œ œ œ
ο
o
˙
α
a
-
-
-
-
χώ
cho
ρη
ri
œ œ œ
χώ - ρη -
cho - ri
w
-
-
-
-
-
τος,
tos,
˙
τος,
tos,
α
a
-
-
χώ
cho
ρη
ri
τος,
tos,
œ Œ Œ œ
w
-
-
-
-
Χρι - στός ο
Chris - tos, o
Χρι - στός ο
Chris - tos, o
Θε
The
ός,
os;
œ œ œ œ œ
w
-
-
Θε - ός,
The - os;
ον
on
α - νυ
a - nym
œ ‰ œ œ œ
J
w
ον
on
α - νυ
a - nym
-
-
-
-
μνούν-τες
noun - tes
œ
μνούν-τες
noun - tes
w
με - γα -
me - gha -
œ œ œ œ œ
με - γα -
me - gha -
(Hmm)
S
54
& Y Y ˙ Ó
ritard.
8
c. 22"
U
∑
Π= 60 ritard.
p dim.
œ¯
œ¯
œ -
. ‰
œ¯
œ¯
œ -
. ‰
œ¯
œ¯
U
Ó
œ¯
œ¯
U
Ó
Π= 40
pp
U
˙
Ó
A
T
& Y Y
˙
λύ
ly
-
- -
œ œ œ œ
νο
no
- - -
- - -
V Y Y œ œ œ œ œ œ
U
w
μεν.
men.
U
w
Christ is
w
w
born,
Christ is
born.
pp
˙ œ.
‰
pp
˙ œ . ‰
Christ is
U
∑
U
∑
Christ is
U
∑
U
∑
w -
born.
∑
∑
U
∑
U
∑
B
λύ
ly
?
Y Y w
-
- -
(Hmm)
νο
no
- - -
- - -
μεν.
men.
U
w
w
w
gradually close the mouth
dim.
˙
U
˙
˙
U
˙
w
pp
U
˙
Ó
PE112 – 5

PROMETHEAN EDITIONS