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What are the rules regarding musical instruments in the various eastern traditions? Are they allowed only by the Greeks?

I am assuming this is a matter of church discipline rather than dogma. Our Byzantine congregation seems unable to reach a consensus on what key we are singing in....

Tradition (capital T) is that the only musical instruments allowed are the ones the Good Lord put in our throats.

Getting everybody singing in the same key is usually a matter of having a reasonably decent cantor, and a congregation that is willing to cooperate - or at least not compete. This is really a matter of education & willingness to listen. If folks aren't willing to listen, it won't matter what else you try.

Sharon

Actually the chant is always related to the liturgical prayer, instruments can pray, therefore the human voice is to be used in the liturgy. This comes from the early times, the jewish services had two type of chant, the non-liturgical one (whose lyrics could also be sacred, or based in sacred texts too) accompanied by instruments, and the truly sacred and liturgical chant which was sung.

In both traditions, Roman and Byzantine, the use of instruments was not allowed in the liturgy, until the 1600's (if you listen to Palestrina or Lassus you'll find that everything is a capella), when the Roman Church permitted this innovation. However the Roman Church before the 1960's was clear when it stated that certain instruments could not be accepted in the liturgy (guitars, for example, because they were often related to diversion and profanity).

The copts as well as the greeks use in some fests (the resurrection for example) some percution instruments to accompany and give rythm to the chant, but never other instruments.
The Churches of the byzantine tradition do not permit the use of instruments in the liturgy and if this happens, it is clearly an abuse.

There have been attempts to reform the Eastern Church too. Composer Gretchanikov (the author of Orthodox liturgical compositions, as well as the Missa Oecumenica) composed a "Liturgia Domestica" for choir and a little orchestra (thsi composition was serevrly criticized by Church leaders in Russia and praised by liberals)

Recently Ung-certez in this forum wrote his testimony about the "liturgy" with guitars in a Byzantine Catholic Cathedral in Slovakia.

I wonder when or why the Armenians started to use organ. Was it a latinization?

Greetings all,

I know the Albanian Cathedral in Boston and many Greek Orthodox Church's use an organ. I'm not quite sure what the reasoning is-- perhaps to keep everyone in "key"

Coming from the Ukrainian Catholic heritage, where no instruments are used, it was quite strange. I encountered an "organ" in an Eastern Church for the first time when I was invited, along with my Latin Cousin to a wedding in a Greek Orthodox Church. Before we left the house to attend the wedding, I explained to my cousin that there will be no "Here comes the bride" being played in church. Instead, we chant the Psalm: "Blessed are those who fear the Lord..." (I think this is the Psalm from the marriage service-- don't have the book in front of me now, and too lazy to walk down to my basement "library room"). Anyhow, we arrived at the church and can you imagine my surprise when we opened the vestibule doors and heard the organ blaring "Ave Maria"!!!! Yes, they did play "here comes the bride" as the bridal party walked down the aisle, dispensing with the Psalm. I guess the look on my face said it all.. I nearly went through the floor!!! What an unexpected event. My cousin, who truly has a sense of humor (I love her to death) just looked at me, smiled, and said "here comes the bride."

It was an interesting addition to the service
BTW, the organist and soloist were truly "in tune."

Dan

I'm not quite so sure about the universal ban on non-human-voice musicality in the East. The Syrians use little bells when chanting psalms. It is a type of metronome to keep the rhythm going. The Copts and the Ethiopians use little drummy things, ostensibly for the same purpose.

While the Slavs operated with human voice only, it appears that non-Slav migrants to non-Mediterranean countries adopted the organ as an adjunct to liturgical worship. Let it be said: the Slavs always encouraged the whole congregation to sing. Ruthenian and Ukrainian congregational chants are stupendous!! Greeks stand around and just listen -- except for certain hymns where they join in. (Same for the Arabs.) So, in order to get the congregation involved in the liturgical worship -- and catechesis from the Liturgy -- the musicians would use the Hammond organ to keep the congregation in pitch. (It doesn't often work - but it helps the choir.)

I'm not sure that this "custom" represents an absolute essential for Eastern and Orthodox worship. If one were to use pitch pipes (God love 'em!!), or bells for timing, or drums for rhythm, what's the big deal? These customs go back many hundreds of years. I would hope that the Slavs would continue to educate their kids to feel free enough to join in and harmonize with liturgical music. If the kids stand next to their singing/harmonizing parents and family and congregants, then they will lose their inhibitions and start to sing -- as long as some dumb SOB doesn't chastise them for being 'off key' -- . When I attended a Russian parish, I learned the harmonies by reading the music texts. When I started at the Ruthenian parish, I stood next to some of the old guys; I listened, I joined in, I screwed up, but I was patted on the back and through smiles was encouraged to keep on going. And I got the confidence to keep on going. And I came to realize that it's the people - not the "rules".

Blessings! And graces to hear the tones and keep on singing.