Byzantine hymns that enriched the music of the Greek Orthodox Church in Cyprus and Greece have been listed on UNESCO’s ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’. With the announcement by UNESCO on Wednesday, these Byzantine hymns, which have been in existence for over two thousand years, are gaining global attention once again. The UNESCO Declaration states that this comprehensive music synthesis, which is both active and culturally significant, is intrinsically linked to spiritual life and religious worship.
The UNESCO specially mentions that these hymns, which overcame the challenges of centuries, remain the center of Greek Orthodox worship. This phonetic focus is mainly on the worship of God. Its mission is to spread the holy message. The UNESCO Declaration states that this art is still in existence due to the word ‘logos’. Important features of this music system that have been transmitted orally for generations still remain.
These hymns, coded in 8 phonetics, have various rhythms to highlight specific words. UNESCO states that although the aesthetic is mainly associated with male voices, it is also sung in nuns and church music. The UNESCO announcement concludes by saying that these hymns have evolved over time as a result of the dedication of skilled, non-musical musicians, choirs, composers, composers, and scholars.
