A perspective on our folk song and Byzantine Chant in the historical context of their development: Some aspects at the meeting point

Abstract

This paper explores the historical and musicological intersections between Byzantine chant and Albanian folk music, with a particular focus on oral transmission and shared stylistic features. Initially developed within the Byzantine Empire, Byzantine music lacked a fixed ethnic identity, drawing from a range of influences including Palestine, Asia Minor, and the Balkans. Researchers like V. Tole and F. Hysi emphasize the folk roots of Byzantine religious music and its universal musical layer. The study highlights the coexistence of Byzantine chant and Albanian folk music, especially in southern and central Albania, where liturgical melodies share structural similarities with polyphonic folk songs. Although folk music was transmitted orally, the written tradition of Byzantine chant ensured its preservation. Byzantine chant was passed on both aurally and through formal schooling by psalmists, leading to regional styles and theoretical codification. In contrast, Albanian folk music remained an oral tradition until its systematic collection by Arbëresh researchers in the 18th century. Historical testimonies from chroniclers such as Ducas, Barleti, and Sabellici provide some of the earliest documentation of Albanian song. The paper notes that some folk songs from areas like Korçë, Berat, and Durrës incorporate modes and melismatic elements from Orthodox chant. Although the church largely resisted folk influences, amateur psalmists introduced localized variations in chant interpretation. Ultimately, the study affirms that these two distinct traditions, despite institutional boundaries, developed mutual influences over centuries, forming a unique cultural synthesis preserved through oral heritage and liturgical manuscripts.