Author: Guilnard Moufarrej
Publisher/Publication: Review of Middle East Studies
Volume/Issue: 44(2)
DOI/ISBN: https://www.jstor.org/stable/23057157
This article is exploring the changes in the music of the Maronite Church in the last century, as music is considered central to Maronite theology and spirituality, balancing between safeguarding tradition and following contemporary trends. It is mainly focused on the ancient Syro-Maronite repertoire and to newly composed hymns and melodies, and how they gradually introduced changes in order to save ancient melodies, such as the translation of hymns in Arabic, the introduction of musical instruments and the musical notation, exploring the differences in transmission and performance in Lebanon and the United States. It concludes that the diaspora is struggling to maintain its liturgical identity, due to the lack of translation in English.