Armenian chant

Armenian chant(Armenian:շարական,sharakan) is themelismaticmonophonicchantused in the liturgy of theArmenian Apostolic Churchand theArmenian Catholic Church.

Armenian chant, likeByzantine chant,consists mainly ofhymns.The chants are grouped in a system of eight modes calledoktoechos.The oldest hymns were in prose, but later versified hymns, such as those byNerses Shnorhali,became more prominent. The official book of hymns, thesharakan,contains 1,166 hymns (Šaraknoc').

The earliest surviving manuscripts with music notation date from the 14th century, and use a system ofneumesknown asArmenian neumesorkhaz,which has been in use since the 8th century.In the 19th century a new system of notation, still in use, was introduced bytheoristHamparsum Limonciyan.

Armenian chant is now sung to a precise rhythm, including specific rhythmic patterns, which are atypical ofplainsong.This is considered by some scholars (such as P. Aubry) to be a result ofTurkishinfluence,although others (such as R. P. Decevrens) consider it to be of great antiquity and use it as evidence in favor of a more rhythmic interpretation ofGregorian chant.

The chants used by communities in theArmenian Diasporaare usually harmonized and differ from the original forms. The source of the most traditional music is the liturgies atEchmiadzin,the religious center of Armenia.

See also

• Armenian Rite
• Music of Armenia
• Ktsord
• Tagh

References

• Apel, Willi(1972).Harvard Dictionary of Music(2nd ed.). Cambridge:Harvard UP.
• Velimirović, Miloš(1990). "Christian Chant in Syria, Armenia, Egypt, and Ethiopia". In Richard Crocker;David Hiley(eds.).The New Oxford History of Music(2nd ed.). Oxford:Oxford University Press.pp. 9–14.ISBN0-19-316329-2.

External links

• Armenian Liturgical ChantEnsemble Akn