Welcome
In
the history of the Doukhobors, Psalm-Singing was a regular activity,
as common place as working, eating or sleeping. It wasn't an 'art';
it wasn't a 'craft' - nor was it simply a pastime. It was an integral
part of their lives. Though an oral culture and lacking formal education,
one might not be able to spell their own name, each Doukhobor child
learned many of the hundreds of psalms in the 'Сборник'
or 'Collection' throughout their childhood. Known as The Living
Book, these psalms, though practiced and handed down for generations,
were not written down and collected until 1902. They were remembered;
'Written on the heart', and then sung (or chanted). From birth to
death, every Doukhobor was attuned to this practice, for it was
a birthright of generations of Doukhobors - a practice that endured
over three and a half centuries.
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These
psalms were dedicated to specific occasions ranging from births
to weddings to funerals. When sung with spiritual intensity,
they produced what is known as Soul Communion among
the participants; a meditative rhapsody which results in spiritual
tranquillity - a connection to God - between the brethren
- a feeling unlike any other.
In
modern times, this practice has been less pronounced and relatively
few Doukhobors still practice the art; a way of life that
has been largely forgotten except by some. Due to forced assimilation
in the 30's and 40's, the inevitable replacement of their
devout Russian-Doukhobor-based principals for western ways
and ideals, many of the psalms have been long-forgotten -
or at least, not practiced in many a year. While a century
ago it was common that the average Doukhobor could remember
and recite a hundred or more psalms (and many elders claim
they remember their own mothers and fathers remembering by
heart, two hundred and up), today, the average number of psalms
that are rehearsed and recited total about thirty, though
estimates vary. But whatever the number, Psalm-Singing is
no longer the practice that partially defined a Doukhobor,
as it once was.
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Ottawa
Musicologist Kenneth Peacock, who recorded and documented
some of the Doukhobor music in the mid 1960s for the National
Museum of Canada stated in observation, "Should
the Doukhobors ever cease to practice the singing of psalms,
it will truly signify the end of Doukhoborism."
The
Doukhobor Discovery Centre's mandate is not only the preservation
of the Doukhobor Village located in Castlegar BC, but 'to
preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the Doukhobor
Peoples in British Columbia'. In this project, we continue
to fulfil our responsibilities.
The
Psalmist Project represents in digital form, a collection
of just a few Psalms (and some Hymns) that are still practiced
today by some Doukhobors - that they learned as their forefathers
did; by hearing, listening, rehearsing, and participating.
The audio in the collection was recorded with high quality
digital equipment - apparent when listening. Along with
their practice, the video contains interviews with historians
and participants alike, and their views on the archaic art
of Psalm-Singing. |
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If you are here to study Doukhobor psalm-singing from an academic
perspective, there is a plethora of information, that just one text
medium cannot fulfill. In addition to the actual audio segments
of this project, you will find enlightening video interviews that
will shed light on the subject in a more personal manner. Read well
into the History section, where you will find additional reading
materials for download, not found on public, or other websites.
We
are proud that we have been able to preserve this digital record
of some of the psalm-singing that is still being practiced by some
today, and are pleased that through the CD, upcoming DVD, and this
website, we can share with the world, a cultural heritage that is
sadly becoming less and less a way of every-day Doukhobor life.
This
website serves as an online record of the Psalmist Project; we hope
you enjoy its enlightening content.
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