In Praise of (Byzantine) Chant

A Greek choir in the liturgy (from the UNESCO report)

“UNESCO Recognizes Byzantine Chant as Part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.” So it was proclaimed last December, upon the  motion of the governments of Greece and Cyprus. 1)  Well, UNESCO has spoken, so it must be right!

According to the ruling:

Highlighting and musically enhancing the liturgical texts of the Greek Orthodox Church, (chant) is inextricably linked with spiritual life and religious worship. This vocal art is mainly focused on rendering the ecclesiastical text; arguably, the chant exists because of the word (‘logos’), since every aspect of the tradition serves to spread the sacred message….In addition to its transmission in church, the Byzantine chant is flourishing due to the dedication of experts and non-experts alike – including musicians, choir members, composers, musicologists and scholars – who contribute to its study, performance and dissemination.” 2)

(Above) a mural from Cyprus. As the UNESCO report commments, although instruments are prohibited in the Orthodox divine liturgy, there exist depictions of  their use both in and outside of  church. (From the UNESCO report)

And from the nominating proposal (in somewhat obscure English):

Psaltic art accompanies and enhances musically the Divine Liturgy, the performance of the Sacred Mysteries (Sacraments) and, in general, all rituals of divine worship. It occupies a central role in the religious and social life of the community of Orthodox Christians, interwoven with the most important events in a person’s life, such as baptism, wedding, and funeral, as well as with the observance and celebration of religious festivals, such as Christmas, Easter, and Lent. The importance of the service rendered by the choirs of chanters cannot be stressed enough since, on certain occasions, they chant up to seven or eight hours per day, for days on end.

The functional elements of Byzantine chant, its unequalled lyricism, and its multifaceted nature (language and verse, music and rhythm, vestments and ritual, etc.) render it a powerful socio-cultural expression, an essential trait of the collective and personal identity of the bearers. As one of the main components of the Liturgy, the chant contributes dynamically to the self-determination and self-awareness of the communities of the bearers.

Preserving rituals and sacred texts through chanting prior to the spread of the printing press, the art was vital in safeguarding the Ancient and Medieval Greek language. 3)

I don’t think we can say the same for the status of plainchant (or of  the Latin language or ecclesiastical music in general) in the Western Church. In fact, the traditions  singled out for praise above directly conflict with the policies and practice governing liturgical music that prevail in the Roman Catholic Church. And I don’t know what “Catholic” country would promote the Catholic musical heritage in UNESCO (some countries have nominated various religious processions – presumabably as “folklore”).

See “Icons of Sound: Lost Voices of Hagia Sofia” by Cappella Romana – an initiative trying to recover the musical traditions of Constantinople’s cathedral rite.

1. SOURCE
2. UNESCO Statement (w/ Pictures)
3. “Nomination file No. 001508 for inscription in 2019 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”