Psalmody

Psalm (from other Greek: ψαλμός - psalm and ᾠδή - song, singing):

• the singing of psalms (in the Catholic tradition - according to the melodic formula of the so-called psalm tones );
• kind of melodic recitation (chant reading). A characteristic feature of psalmodia is a steady, constant pitch with slight deviations from it at the beginnings and ends of recited verses (or any of their departments).

In the Byzantine writing of the 5th-6th centuries, this term denoted the rules of singing by the Psalter monks; psalmody is characterized as concentrated singing, not allowing the expression of emotions and contrasted with “worldly” singing. There is an assumption that the Byzantine psalmody dates back to the Jewish one: in the same manner psalms were chanted in synagogues . The surviving musical recordings of the Byzantine psalmody date back to the 13th century.

Both the Byzantine and Gregorian psalms are characterized by a smooth ascent at the beginning of the tune, recitation on one sound in the middle of it, and a smooth descent at the end.

Russian psalmodia is related to the Byzantine; according to Moscow church charters, the psalmody is a singing “in a meek and quiet voice, inert (slow) and in hearing to everyone”.

Three types of psalmody are known: respondent , in which solo singing alternates with choral, antiphonal , suggesting alternate singing of two choirs; the most ancient is the solo performance, later replaced by choral, without alternations.