Yared

Yared

Source: Black Past

Yared was a contemporary of Romanos the Melodist, though they lived and attended to each their own world some 3,600 miles apart. Being about fifteen years younger than Romanos who was born in Constantinople circa 490, Yared was conceived in Axum, Kingdom of Axum (now in Ethiopia), on 25 April 505. His name was taken from Jared in the book of 'Genesis', said to have been the father of Enoch. That Jared is reputed to have lived 952 years, his the sixth of ten generations from Adam to Noah, when it's said per Enoch that angels descended to Earth.

As for this Yared who was a singer, during the years he shared in common with Romanos (c 490-557) Rome went through about ten more popes whilst Ireland got dotted w a few more monasteries, well on its way to becoming as Catholic as Rome. Across the Strait of Dover in England, Anglo-Saxons had acquired control of Sussex, Kent and East Anglia with all of Yorkshire at their horizon. Justinian I became Caesar of the Byzantine Empire in 526, also head of the Eastern Orthodox Church until his death in 565, the glory days of the Byzantine Empire closing with him.

Yared in the meantime is thought to have originated the zema (chant) tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, a part of the greater Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria said to have been founded by the 'Gospel' author, (Saint) Mark. Yared is known to have composed five volumes of chants for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. His songs for the Church are referred to as mezmurs (mazmurs) including liturgical titles. Examples below include the 'Zemara' sung during Mass. That is of the Ge'ez form which is one of three into which the music of the Ethiopian Church can be divided: Ge'ez after the Father, Izil after the Son and Iraray after the Holy Spirit. Titles below aren't intended to be in chronological order of any kind, as neither composition nor performance dates are determined.

A 'Hymn For The Feast of St. Mary'   Yared

Mahelete ze Asterio Mariam at the Debre Tsiege Mariam   Debre Tsiege, Etheopia   Feb 2014

A 'Hymn For The Feast of St. Mary'   Yared

Mahelete ze Asterio Mariam at the Kidist Mariam Church   Addis Ababa, Ethiopia   Feb 2014

'Zemare'   Sequence of the Mass   Yared

Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

Yared is also known to have performed for Ethiopian Emperor, Gabra Masqal (550-64). Wikipedia continues the traditional story of Masqal accidentally dropping a spear on Yared's foot. To compensate he granted Yared's wish to be able to live in solitude in the Semien Mountains in northern Ethiopia, where he died a recluse in 571.