Ancient Choral Echoes

I love history. It's awakening the slumbering remembrances in your own soul, feeling echoes from an era long gone. You feel the mystery, and try to brush aside the cobwebs of time, entropy and fog. And occasionally, when you do you get a glimpse at life. A person in the past that reminds you of yourself. Like looking into a dusty mirror. The connection is incredible, when someone reaches from the grave to touch you.

I felt that way this week as I read up a little on early music. The first music notations come from Ancient Greece, actual written scores of hymns. The oldest songs are the Delphic Hymns, written by an Athenian in 138 BC to Apollo.

It appears to be written for a boys choir at the Pythian Games. You can see the actual stone inscription (well this is the 2nd of two Delphic Hymns, but you get the picture.)

But what is amazing is that someone cracked the ancient musical code and transcribed it into modern notation.

And then I found a MIDI file for the music. And my heart leapt as I heard the music from 2 Millenia ago rose from the dust.

I love discovery. Even if it is just for myself.