There was a speculation associated with the mystical dance which was the belief in the angelic transmission through a sacred chant: the assumption that the early Church united men in the prayer to the angelic choirs in heaven. The chant was believed to be not only to be mystical but also of heavenly origin. The musical function of angels is Biblical and is brought out clearly by
Isaiah 6:1-4 and
Ezekiel 3:12. Most significant in the fact, outlined in Exodus 25, that the pattern for the earthly worship of Israel was derived from heaven. This notion is certainly older than the Apocalypse account (
Revelation 4:8-11). The allusion is perpetuated in the writings of the early Fathers, such as Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Ignatius of Antioch, Athenagoras of Athens and Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite.
Koinonia or "communion" is one of the key ideas for understanding a number of realities for which we now have different names. With regard to musical performance, this concept of koinonia may be applied to the primitive use of the word choros. It referred, not to a separate group within the congregation entrusted with musical responsibilities, but to the congregation as a whole. St. Ignatius wrote to the Church in Ephesus in the following way:
"You must every man of you join in a choir so that being harmonious and in concord and taking the keynote of God in unison, you may sing with one voice through Jesus Christ to the Father, so that He may hear you and through your good deeds recognize that you are parts of His Son."
Byzantine Music
There was a speculation associated with the mystical dance which was the belief in the angelic transmission through a sacred chant: the assumption that the early Church united men in the prayer to the angelic choirs in heaven. The chant was believed to be not only to be mystical but also of heavenly origin. The musical function of angels is Biblical and is brought out clearly by Isaiah 6:1-4 and Ezekiel 3:12. Most significant in the fact, outlined in Exodus 25, that the pattern for the earthly worship of Israel was derived from heaven. This notion is certainly older than the Apocalypse account (Revelation 4:8-11). The allusion is perpetuated in the writings of the early Fathers, such as Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, Ignatius of Antioch, Athenagoras of Athens and Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite.
Koinonia or "communion" is one of the key ideas for understanding a number of realities for which we now have different names. With regard to musical performance, this concept of koinonia may be applied to the primitive use of the word choros. It referred, not to a separate group within the congregation entrusted with musical responsibilities, but to the congregation as a whole. St. Ignatius wrote to the Church in Ephesus in the following way:
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