ONE HOUR BYZANTINE CHRISTMAS HYMNS: PLAYLISTS AND DOCUMENTARY

We are looking forward to the birth of God our Savior  as we have a look at psalms and psalm-singing in the Greek Orthodox Church. The psaltes play a vital role in liturgical worship as part of the ministry. Their duties include leading the chanting of psalms and other liturgical texts, but their role is not merely musical but spiritual. Psalming is seen as a form of prayer and a means of deepening one’s faith through the study and recitation of divine texts. This one-hour video features a curated collection of Byzantine Christmas hymns performed by Nektaria Karantzi, the Psaltries (psaltresses) Byzantine Women’s Choir, and the Nektar Girls' Choir, two ensembles founded by Karantzi to highlight the presence of women in Byzantine chant. We meet them also in the documentary below. 

Dec. 3, 2025 Nektaria Karantzi: 1-Hour Byzantine Christmas Hymns (Orthodox Chant) — Nektaria Karantzi & Psaltries. 

Tracklist

1. 00:00 Christ is Born (Christos Gennatai) - Nektaria

2. 09:46 Come, Let Us Behold — “Why Do You Marvel, Mary?” (Deute Idomen — Ti Thavmazis Mariam) - Nektaria

3. 15:14 Glory to God in the Highest (Doxa en Hypsistois Theō) - Nektaria

4. 19:10 Megalynaria - Nektaria

5. 20:35 A Strange and Wondrous Mystery (Mystērion Xenon) – Psaltries Choir

6. 23:36 Kontakion of the Nativity (Hē Parthenos Sēmeron) - Nektaria

7. 25:33 He Has Visited Us (Epesképsato Hēmas) - Nektaria

8. 27:09 Prepare, O Bethlehem (Vēthleem Etoimazou) – Psaltries Choir

9. 30:10 A Strange and Wondrous Mystery (Mystērion Xenon) - Nektaria

10. 33:10 A Star Has Already Risen (Astron Ēdē Anatetalken) - Nektaria

11. 36:51 Slow Doxology Verses — First Mode (Iakovos) - Nektaria

12. 41:25 Apolytikion of the Nativity (Hē Gennēsis Sou) – Nektaria

13. 42:38 Apolytikion of the Nativity (Hē Gennēsis Sou) – Nektar Choir

14. 43:44 Glory to God in the Highest (Doxa en Hypsistois Theō) – Psaltries Choir

15. 46:30 Doxology — First Mode (Manouel Protopsaltis) – Nektar Choir

16. 53:08 Polyeleos “Praise the Lord” (Douloi Kyrion) – Psaltries Choir

17. 56:53 Exapostilarion of the Nativity (Ta Sympanta Sēmeron) - Nektaria

18. 58:22 Byzantine Carols — Version I (Anarchos Theos) – Psaltries Choir

19. 1:00:48 Byzantine Carols — Version II (Anarchos Theos) - Nektaria

20. 1:03:28 Christmas Carols of Chios (Kalisperizo Fernontas) – Psaltries and Nektar Choirs

The documentary below produced by Pemptousa shows the Psaltries Byzantine Women’s Choir on route through time. It recounts their history and the evolution of the female presence in psalming as an art, with Nektaria Karantzi as its guide and the driving force behind the creation of  the Women in Byzantine Music Worldwide Association.

We go backstage to the production of the recent album "Logos" (above),  showing rare archive material and action scenes from the Psaltries and Nektar, the girls’ chorus. The documentary shows what it means to be a psaltress today, the community, the vision and the voices that are keeping this art alive.

Dec. 12, 2025 Nektaria Karantzi: ΨΑΛΤΡΙΕΣ - ΝΤΟΚΙΜΑΝΤΕΡ. (Psaltresses -Documentary). Auto subtitles available. A formal English translation is in production and will be added as soon as possible. 



Playlist: Nektaria Karantzi, Psaltries & Nektar girls' chorus.

Contacts, credits and downloads in the description (link). 

- More on music videos, Christmas, Kalanta, Greece, Nektaria Karantzi -