Raymond Hall Byzantine musical tradition evolved during the eleven-century span of the Empire's existence and still survives in Greece today.
Byzantine chant is monophonic and strictly vocal.
In America, the immigrant Greeks and their descendants have used the Byzantine melodies in a variety of dynamic ways. Laboring under pressures to conform to Protestant norms, Greek-Americans added organs to their churches. Musicians harmonized and metricized the chants. Additionally, American composers of both Greek and non-Greek descent have used Byzantine chant thematically in secular works. To see a comprehensive listing of all Festival events, you can download a copy of the American Identities Festival Program .