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The Song of the Levite |
Musical System |
With the Hebrew texts there are fundamentally two types of ensembles listed, a ceremonial marching ensemble and a stationary concert ensemble.
In the accounts found in 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:3 and 2 Samuel 16:12-19 we have a complete listing not only of the specific singers and musicians, but also the instruments they used. This very specialized ensemble was utilized when the Ark of the Covenant was being relocated to a tent set up in Jerusalem by David shortly after he was appointed king over the collective nation of Israel.
MARCHING ENSEMBLE - (when the Ark was relocated to Jerusalem)
Three Singers, each with a pair of tuned, bronze cymbals
Eight Harps (with soprano harps)
Six Lyres
You will notice one thing missing from the above ensemble, a choir.
CONCERT ENSEMBLE BEFORE THE TEMPLE
| TEMPLE | ||
| [altar] | ||
| Heman | ||
| (lead singer) | ||
| choir | musicians | |
| Asaph | Jeduthun | |
| (choral director) | (musical director) | |
| singers | harps and lyres | |
As found within the transcriptions of the Psalm manuscripts, one of the formats that was utilized was a responsive form of composition. In this style of composition, the antecedent phrase of a verse was sung by a solo or lead singer with the consequent phrase responsively answered by the choir (see Psalm 150 as an excellent example of this style of manuscript). This fits very well with the details found within the texts regarding the physical layout of the later ensembles.
Heman - lead singer
Facing the Temple towards the west
was the position occupied by the lead singer. In the early
ensembles, this was assigned to a man named Heman (the son of
Joel and grandson of Samuel the prophet) from the family of
Kohath and was the only one of the three singers singled out with
the designation as "the singer" (1 Chronicles 6:18),
maintaining the center position between the other two (1
Chronicles 6:24, 29 [JPS 6:39, 44]). The sons of Kohath
additionally had eleven of the Psalm manuscripts written for/by
them (Psalm 42:1, 44:1, 45:1, 46:1, 47:1, 48:1, 49:1, 84:1, 85:1,
87:1, [88:1 words by Heman, music for/by the sons of Korah]).
Asaph - choral director
On the right hand of Heman
(i.e., stage right) was Asaph (also referred to as the
chief - 1 Chronicles 16:5), from the family of Gershom (1
Chronicles 6:24-28 [JPS 6:39-43]). It is from the family of Asaph
that we find the primary lineage of the singers that survived
until the time of Ezra and the Second Temple (Ezra 2:41, 3:10,
Nehemiah 7:44, 11:17, 11:22, 12:46). The sons of Asaph, like the
sons of Kohath, had numerous Psalm manuscripts written for/by
them (Psalm 50:1, 73:1, 74:1, 75:1, 76:1, 77:1, 78:1, 79:1, 80:1,
81:1, 82:1, 83:1).
Jeduthun (aka Ethan) - musical director
On the left hand side (i.e.,
stage left) of Heman was a man named Ethan from the family of
Merari (1 Chronicles 6:29-32 [JPS 6:44-47]. Ethan apparently in
the Hebrew texts was also referred to by the name Jeduthun (1
Chronicles 16:31, 25:1). It was from the family of Jeduthun we
not only find a family of string players (1 Chronicles 25:3).
Looking at these three individuals with the above perspective, we might have a better handle on how the Levite musical ensemble functioned during the time of David:
Unfortunately by the time of the second Temple of Ezra's time, it is only the records of Asaph's and Jeduthun's lineage that will survive in the Biblical texts (Ezra 2:41, 3:10, Nehemiah 11:17, 11:22). Following the exile and in the later accounts of Nehemiah we find a similar group of three individuals who formed the musical and choral directors of the Levites during that period.
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"and Mattaniah, a descendant of Mica, a descendant of Mica, a descendant of Zabdi, a descendant of Asaph (the chief - lead singer during David's time), who was the chief to begin the thanksgiving in prayer, and Bakbukiah (choir director), the second among his brethren; and Abda (musical director) a descendant of Shammua, a descendant of Galal, a descendant of Jeduthun (musical director during David's time)." - Nehemiah 11:17 |
Up to now, the information that has been presented is very theoretical by nature. For the various elements of this information to have value in relation to the Biblical texts and to hold up under scrutiny, certain questions must be asked and answered when these theories are applied and the Psalm manuscripts themselves are transcribed into standard musical notation?
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The Song of the Levite |
Musical System |