The common forms
of paraliturgical devotion on Croatian islands are various religious ceremonies
- processions through the settlements. The most significant and frequent
ceremonies are the Holy Week processions, especially Maundy Thursday and Good
Friday processions.
Numerous authors calculate about the origins and initiations of processions on
the Croatian islands. Most common citation dated beginnings at the XV century
and even earlier (Skunca 1981:68-69). A continuation and a long history of the
custom, enrich the present procession singing with the traces of the ancient
singing styles
.
The most
impressive of all Dalmatian processions is Za krizen ("Following the
Cross") on the island of Hvar. To be precise, it is group of processions,
starting out simultaneously from six settlements (Jelsa, Pitve, Vrisnik, Svirce,
Vrbanj and Vrboska) on the night between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Followers of the processions, the members of local confraternities, are
visiting churches and Bozji greb (Christ' grave) in the five remaining
settlements.
Processions all travel in the same direction, in a circle, through the night
until the morning. Crosses lead all the processions; holding the cross represent
a once in a lifetime honor. The cross bearer, in agreement with
batistrada (the head of confraternity) has the privilege of selecting
assistants from among the members of confraternities. The rest of the members
hold candles and lights during the night (ferali, torci,
kandeliri). The singing marks the whole procession. The most crucial
singing, in the manner of a dialogue, involves two lead singers and two
response singers - kantaduri. On different locations, mainly churches (stacije),
kantaduri sing the most archaic version of Gospin plac (Our Lady
Weeping) .
In each stacija the leading kantaduri have to sing two or three
octosyllabic verses (strofa) as well as the response kantaduri.
The aim of the singing is harmonizing in perfect unison by matching the vocal
timbres. The matching of the voices requires a special devotion to the tonal
quality of the singing. I was fortunate to video taped the very first
performance of the youngest leading kantaduri from Jelsa. The carefully
coordinated tune from Jelsa sounds as only one performer is singing
.
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The
intonation and volume of the tune gradually increases, then
falls and become weaker (Zganec 1965:452). Short octosyllabic
text is rendered in very drawn-out melismatic singing. The
melodic curve of the untempered chromatic tunes could be several
minutes long.
Different from Gospin plac, the repertoire sung by the
traveling confraternity is essentially different. The liturgical
and paraliturgical chant is characterized by two-part homophonic
(diatonic) singing, common for most of the present day island's
church singing repertoires. |
Jelsa
(file wmv, 1'41", 646 Kb) |
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