Aramaic Music
Music is an art that makes people feel relaxed. Music has many common elements
like pitch, melody, rhythm and harmony. Music varies from culture to culture and
tradition to tradition. Ancient music was established in literate cultures and
traditions. Music was made on the basis of different types of tunes and scales.
The Syrian Christians still continue to sing the worship songs in the Church
that is known as liturgical music that means a form of public worship. Syria
is known as the oldest centers of Christians or Syrian Christians. In the
past, the Jewish religious music was very distinguishing. It was so popular
that it is still played in the Syrian Jewish community of New York.
The Sumerian and Acadian music was earlier played in the church that is a
symbol of purity. The Aramaic discovery proves that there were schools of
music in the areas of Mesopotamia where Sumerians learned music in 4500 BC.
Music played a vital role in the religious ceremonies being performed in the
churches that is supposed to be the symbol of purity.
The Aramaic music had Acadian Octave that was divided into twenty
four-quartertones. The eight keys formed a scale. Though theses scales did
not get over the entire Octave; while they were built on the first four
tones only. These extra chords were combined with each other until they made
up to 3000 different complete scales. But later they realized that a lot of
them did not give the musical satisfaction and so they were reduced to
almost 200. out of which 10 are being used.
An ancient and medieval instrument known as Psaltery on which the Christians
sang different types of songs by plucking the strings of the instrument. It
was decided in the early church to pray and sing in Aramaic the
“international” language at that time. The Jews who were given freedom by
Cyrus in 539 BC played the Acadian Seven-tones scale music in the already
established churches.
The early believers moved to Antioch along with Peter who was the founder of
the Christian church. Antioch was in important city as it was the center
where the east and west meet from different cultures.
After the Christians entered the Middle-east countries in the second-third
Century, the Christians used the uses of the Acadian main tones. These eight
scales became the basis of the oriental music. The first music festival was
held in the year 2008 for almost four days in the village of Tannourine in
Mount Lebanon. This music festival was especially held for Aramean-Syriac
people who dispersed in the eighth-sixth Century BC.
The singers like Gabi Conda, Sina Marawge, Massoud Elia and Elie Gabriel
attended this festival. In 1864, an international organization of left-wing
radicals founded the International Workingmen’s Association that was also
known by the name of the First International Association.
In 1922, an anarcho-syndicalists federation of trade unions was also founded
under the International Workers Association. Aramaic music has been the most
important for the development of folk music. Aramaic music had rich cultures
and traditions and it is a wonderful folk music that is still alive in the
hearts of many people even today.
