Early Church Music

  • The Early Christian Church ruled at the Council of Laodicea (363-4 CE) that Hymns and Psalms were to be sung by the Clergy not the Congregation (Laity), and that they must come only from the Scriptures.
  • This remained unchanged until the Reformation in 1517 CE.

Description

  • Musical Instruments were never used during Services in the Early Christian Church.
  • The style is ‘A Cappella’, which is specifically, solo or group singing without instruments.
  • Byzantine Music, the music of the Byzantine Empire, was based on Ancient Greek Music, and is the closest to which we can trace Early Church music. Its main records start around 500 CE.
  • A Famous Hymn, with one or more Stanzas, is the Easter Vespers Hymn ‘Phos Hilaron’ (O Resplendent Light), which we know of from a fourth century CE description.
Posted in .