"Theologically, poetically, and musically, one of the most profound and beautiful compositions bequeathed to us by Byzantium's sacred hymnographers is the Akathist Hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos. In this unparalleled composition, Orthodox Christianity bears eloquent witness to its unshaken belief in the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God, and the Church's devotion to the Virgin who conceived and bore a son. The hymn proper was written in Greek by the Syrian St. Romanos the Melodist in the early sixth century. In ninth-century Constantinople, St. Joseph the Hymnographer adorned the hymn with a canon. Typically, the hymn and canon are sandwiched into the middle of Small Compline, which is also contained in its entirety in this volume. The skilled monastic translators (who chant this service nightly) worked from the orginal Greek, but with insights gained from the ancient Slavonic translation. They strove to render it into traditional ecclesiastical English accurately, readably, and singably, a daunting task to be sure. Chanters will be delighted that the sung portions retain the meter of the Greek, so that the traditional Byzantine melodies fit easily. Even those reading this as a private devotion will appreciate the highly poetical feel of the translation. A 26-page musical appendix contains the Byzantine melodies in western notation, with ison. This edition is layed-out beautifully with very readible print on excellent acid-free paper for durability. Quite usable by clergy, chanters, and the faithful in church and at home. Includes a scholarly preface and several icons by Photios Kontoglou in monochrome.