Vocal Group to Perform First-Century Music

By Jasmina Wellinghoff

SPECIAL TO THE EXPRESS-NEWS

            Have you ever wondered what the music of Palestine sounded like at the time of Jesus?

            San Antonio musicians Christopher and Covita Moroney have not only wondered about it, they made it their business to rediscover the sounds that many thought were lost forever.  Their efforts eventually resulted in the nationally acclaimed album “Ancient Echoes,” which features recreated first-century songs, chants and prayers of both Christians and Jewish origin. 

            Today, the Moroneys and their San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble – better known as SAVAE – will bring their historical music to the Incarnate World Motherhouse Chapel on the University of the Incarnate Word campus for what is going to be their only local concert this season.  The event is organized by the Center for Spirituality and the Arts.

            Titled “Mysticism and Music of the Middle East,” the program will celebrate “the spiritual descendants of Abraham: Jews, Christians, and Muslims,” through scriptural readings and sacred songs.  Besides selections from “Echoes,” the group will also perform a few chants and prayers of Islam.

            For the Moroneys, “Ancient Echoes” was a tremendous labor of love and dedication.  The project was inspired years ago by the book “Prayers of the Cosmos” by Neil Douglas-Klotz.  The Moroneys got the book from a friend. 

            “The book is what ignited us,” said Covita, who serves as SAVAE’s manager.  “We opened it and read some and it was, ‘Oh, my God, we have to do this!’ ”

            For the two former Catholics searching for a more universal and mystical spirituality, the book offered what they were longing for – Jesus’ prayers translated directly from the Aramaic, with an emphasis on the deeper, more mystical and broader meaning of the words.

            The couple subsequently spent 2½ years researching other Hebrew and Christian texts as well as old Jewish musical motifs, “before we could start making noise,” as Covita put it.

            Christopher, the group’s artistic director composed the music of “Echoes” based on melodic fragments and musical phrases that are believed to go back to the first century A.D., before the Jewish exile from Palestine.

            Eventually, the entire ensemble had to learn to sing in ancient languages of the region.

            Thursday’s concert will begin with the core prayers of all three religions, explained Covita, before proceeding with the rest of the program.  What’s especially exciting to the Moroneys is that the readings will be done by Douglas Klotz, the man who inspired them.  A Sufi teacher and scholar of mysticism, he will read from his “mystical translations” from the Dead Sea Scrolls, The Torah, the Gospels, and the Koran.

            Besides the Moroneys, SAVAE’s current members are Kathy Mayer, Tanya Moczygemba, Jody Noblett, Lee P’Pool and Sonya Yamin.  All sing and play a variety of old authentic instruments.