March 6, 2009

  • Genevan Tunes - ....Turkey

    In the early 17th century the protestant influence reached all the way to Istanbul. Musician Ali Ufki translated Psalms 1 - 14 in the Turkish language. In 1610 Ali Ufki was born in Lviv (then Poland, now Oekraïn) as Wojciech Bobowski. His family was protestant. Wojciech was musically gifted and had an excellent learning ability. He enrolled in an education to become a church musician. Most likely he was captured by the Tartars when he was eighteen years old and sold as a slave to a sultan in Constantinople. With his musical gifts and intelligence he quickly moved up the ladders. He became translator, treasurer and composer in residence. He translated the Bible and the first fourteen Genevan Psalms in the Turkish language.

    Four of these psalms, the psalms 2, 5, 6 en 9, are recorded on a CD made by a German-Turkish music ensemble.

    It is a shocking - but when you got used to it a miraculous integration of cultures. Eastern strings with flutes, sounding - in our ears - melancholic music with free rhythms and embelishments, yet, we hear those familiar Genevan tunes. This is beautiful piece of music in 2009, the year of John Calvin.

    In the 17th century there were protestants that had great interest for Turkey. It is not known if Ali Ufki ever has met one of these wester Christians, but he realized certainly some of their goals. The Turkisch Bible translation for example, was something that was the Czech theologian and teacher Jan Amos Comenius aimed for.

    A Turkish psalmbook was already brought up by the Hungarian scientist Albert Szenci Molnár (1574-1634). He expected the return of Christ soon and because of that conversion of Jews and Muslims alike. The Psalms could create their interest in the Christian faith. The Reformed churches in Hungary already had a Genevan Psalter but now  Molnar would like the Genevan Psalter in Turkish and Hebrew as well.

    Ali Ufki just rhymed 14 psalms, and we don’t know if he had planned to rhyme all 150 Psalms. With their free rhythmic approach and modes the Genevan tunes are actually quite close to the Turkish music, the CD booklet reveals.

    The CD
    Article in Dutch (Nederlands Dagblad)

    PS This is another post about the Psalms, the Genevan Tunes. There is so much misunderstanding about the Genevan tunes, church people are judgmental based on perceptions. I am not against hymns (as some have whispered). If it would have been up to John Calvin, we could have sung Ave Maria this Sunday. However, the government of city of Geneva didn't want the modified version by John Calvin (and I am convinced Calvin's Ave Maria was absolutely sound and scriptural...) In line of the Reformation, the Reformed Church needs hymns (which hymn - that's another question...)

     

Comments (5)

  • So does this mean we should use guitar and drums with the Genevans if it fits better into our contemporary context?

  • Yep, totally right! It works very well...In church however, I think that your best chance would be in a congregation with a significant number of immigrants from the Middle East area

  • Thanks for posting this. This is little short of remarkable. After reading the article, I find myself wondering whether Bobowski's conversion to Islam was genuine. I have roots in the eastern Mediterranean, and I know of the phenomenon of the secret Christians who feigned conversion but kept up their christian observance in private. That he would devote himself to translating the entire Bible, the Church of England's catechism and at least 14 Psalms into Turkish suggests something less than a full devotion to Islam.

  • David, thanks for this reaction. Interesting point that you brought up about his conversion to Islam. In his life story this explanation answers quite a few questions.  

  • By the way, I've linked to this page in my Genevan Psalter blog.

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