Sacred Music

Orthodox Chant

The Old Testament contains many passages expressing worship to God in song. The history of the Orthodox Church can be described as a history of prayer through song. The entire Divine Liturgy is chanted. Following the ancient Jewish patriarchs, the Fathers of the Church recognized the profound impact music has on souls and adopted it as a tool of instruction and edification. The music of the Church came to be known as the Psaltic Art and later as Byzantine music. The latter term is indicative of the paramount significance of Byzantium-Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, in the genesis, growth, and development of this tradition. Byzantine music was influenced by Roman music traditions, classic Greek music as well as religious music traditions of Syriac and Hebrew cultures. Chanting is usually sung acapella (without musical accompaniment), although some church parishes in America use organ accompaniment.