The Sharakan: Crown Jewel of the Armenian Liturgy
Musician and composer Sahan Arzruni the history of Armenian chant and demonstrates several of its modern pieces.
Like most Christian traditions, the Armenian Apostolic Church accompanies its worship with music. In most cases, these songs are drawn from a centuries-old genre known as Armenian chant. The major hymnal text of Armenian chant is called the Šaraknoc', containing sharakan hymns, traditionally written in khaz musical notation.
While these hymns are centuries old, they are also constantly being expanded upon and adapted by modern Armenian artists. The result is a unique and beautiful branch of music still evolving to this day. In this video, courtesy of the Library of Congress, musician and composer Sahan Arzruni explores the history of the sharakan, how it compares to Western music notation, and demonstrates several compositions by artists of the 20th century.
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