Music In The Byzantine Tradition

Music for worship in the Byzantine Orthodox tradition is thought to be a direct descendent of the music used in the synagogues during the life of Jesus. The Orthodox have a very high, almost sacramental, view of music, believing that it is a "window to heaven. " Music is intrinsic to the liturgy of the church, for it is frequently used to express the liturgical text. Historical Development While some scholars would speculate that the music of the ancient church was a survival of the old classical Greek music, most have taken the position that the music of the ancient church is primarily a legacy from the music of the synagogue. This affirms the conviction that Christ handed down to his apostles not only the rule of faith (the Doctrine of the Apostles) but also the rule of prayer (the Worship of the Apostles). We find in the Gospels that Christ and his disciples regularly attended the synagogue, and that after Pentecost, the disciples continued to attend the synagogue until they we…