Religious music

David playing his harp (unknown artist, c. 960). The book of Psalms, included in the Jewish and Christian scriptures, and said to have been written largely by David, is one of the earliest collections of sacred music, and still plays a role in the liturgies of the two religions.

Religious music (also sacred music) is music performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. Ritual music is music, sacred or not, performed or composed for or as ritual.

Christian music

According to some scholars, the earliest music in the Christian Church came from Jewish worship music, with some additional Syriac influence.^[1] It is believed that this music lay somewhere between singing and speaking, or speaking with an understood ritual cadence.^[2] However, there is another opinion that the roots of early Christian music come from the early ascetic monastic orders.^[3]

Hindu music

Hindu music is music created for or influenced by Hinduism.

Sikh music

Jewish music

The earliest synagogal music was based on the same system as that in the Temple in Jerusalem. According to the Talmud, Joshua ben Hananiah, who had served in the sanctuary Levitical choir, told how the choristers went to the synagogue from the orchestra by the altar (Talmud, Suk. 53a), and so participated in both services.

Islamic music

Rastafarian music

Shintō music

Shintō music (神楽) is ceremonial music for Shinto (神道) which is the native religion of Japan.

Buddhist music

Buddhist music is music for Buddhist ceremony or meditation.

Zoroastrian music

Zoroastrian music is a genre of music that accompanies Zoroastrian traditions and rites.

See also

• Church music
• Gospel music
• Liturgical music
• Music and politics
• Secular music
• Spiritual (music)
• World Sacred Music Festival

References

• Conomos, Dimitri (2003). "Early Christian and Byzantine Music: History and Performance". Monachos.net (February). Reprinted Archdiocesan School of Byzantine Music: Greek Orthodox Archdioces of America, 15 November 2012 (accessed 7 October 2016).
• Foley, Edward (2008). From Age to Age: How Christians Have Celebrated the Eucharist. Liturgical Press; Collegeville. ISBN 978-0-8146-3078-5. 
• Taruskin, Richard; Christopher Gibbs (2013). The Oxford History of Western Music (College ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. 

Further reading

• Fertonani, Cesare; Raffaele Mellace; Cesare Toscani, eds. (2014). La Musica Sacra nella Milano del Settecento. Atti del convegno internazionale. Milano, 17-18 maggio 2011. Cantar sottile 3. Milan: LED Edizioni Universitaire. ISBN 978-88-7916-658-4. 

External links

• Gregorian chant, liturgical music (CD, scores, learning)
• The Gregorian chant of the abbeys of Provence in France (fr. with Translator)
• New England religious music
• Hibba's Web Anthology of Traditional Jewish Music
• Religious Music - Greek