My Notes on the Second UK Temple Studies Group Symposium

Temple Music: Meaning and Influence

Dr Margaret Barker at the podium in the Temple Church. Photo taken from www.templestudiesgroup.com.

The following are the notes I took at the recent Temple Studies Group symposium held at the Temple Church in London, England on Saturday, May 30, 2009. The Temple Studies Group was formed in the UK by Margaret Barker, along with Revd Robin Griffith-Jones (Master of the Temple, Temple Church), Laurence Hemming, Susan Parsons, and Geoffrey Rowell.

I tried to take as thorough notes as possible, although I was often so enthralled in what was being said that I failed to remember to write it down. Nevertheless, hopefully these brief notes will be helpful to give you a good idea of the content of what was being said. I will occasionally supplement my original notes with my own comments, links, and other embellishments. 

The content of the conference was incredible, the setting (Temple Church) was wonderfully appropriate, and it was great to see and converse with so many individuals who appreciate Margaret Barker’s work and are striving to provide the world with a greater understanding of the importance of the Temple. I express my sincere thanks for all who have supported me and who helped make this trip to the UK a possibility and a wonderful experience. I hope to share here a bit of the wealth with which I have been so generously blessed.

Revd Robin Griffith-Jones at the podium -- I am the guy with the striped vest, you can see the back of my head in the middle of the photo -- photo from http://www.templestudiesgroup.com/images/Symposium3.jpg

Revd Robin Griffith-Jones, Master of the Temple Church

Introductory Comments

The Temple Church was built by the Knights Templar in the 12th Century, although the current building was moved from its original location. It was meant to imitate the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The round chapel was built to represent Jerusalem — when you were standing in the round chapel (where the effigies of the buried knights are) you were standing in Jerusalem–the holiest place on earth. This is a very suitable setting for a discussion of the temple. 

The Temple Church, London

Dr Margaret Barker

An Overview of Temple Music

Although it turned out rather blurry, I am very grateful to Revd Angela Oakey-Jones for taking this photo of Margaret Barker and me after the symposium.

Temple music is important but controversial. Connections between temple music and Christian music. It was not created by, but passed into the Church.  Its roots are ancient.

Accounts of temple that we have in OT were written by Deuteronomists (Kings, etc.) and Priests (Chronicles). There is mention of processions in Deuteronomists, but no names of performers. Priestly record  gives names of temple musicians. Priestly account gives much more info that older account does not have. Purpose of music is to invoke the divine presence. Chronicler always includes importance of music.

Trumpets and singers heard as one -with one voice--they called the glory of Lord to the Temple. “God to shine forth.” Shining forth was central to Temple worship (see Psalm 80:1 — Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth). The blessing of the high priest (Num. 6:24-26) was for people to see the Lord’s shining presence and feel grace and peace. Halelujah -comes at the end of many psalms and is a command to make the Lord's presence shine with music (not just praise Lord, but "shine") - "Make him shine, make him glorious" –St Germain said that Halelujah means "God appears, give him glory." Perhaps the purpose of the temple music was to make God appear - to hear the music was to see God's appearance. Isaiah heard angels singing. Song is response to vision.

Philo says music is the harmony of the Creation - unity of Creation is expressed in music (Creation was a product of angelic music OR creation produced harmonic music)

Christians worshipped in same way as Temple levites — with music. Paul begins his letters with "Grace and Peace" which is the high priestly blessing. Christians were worshipping according to temple tradition, not according to the Deuteronomist account. Deut. doesn't mention temple veil, angels, Lord of Hosts, ability to see God, whereas Priestly account doesn't deny these things.

Neither biblical account of creation mentions angels or music at foundation of the world.  Job contains a creation story where the morning stars shouted for joy--angels singing at creation. Angel music was part of the process of creation. Wisdom was beside Creator and held all things in harmony--held Creation in good order, renewing all things.

“New Song” mentioned in OT (Ps. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isa. 42:10) should be interpreted as a “Renewing Song”  (verb comes from "make new" or "restore")

Psalm 33:3 - “sing unto Him a renewing song” - The “renewing song” was sung and then a description of creation was given—Psalm 144

Revelation--renewing song sung as Christ renews earth (Rev. 5:9 and 14:3) (see also D&C 84:98)

Qumran also had this idea of a new/renewing song.

Hekhalot Rabbati says that angels respond to Israel's songs.

Enoch saw the angels who sustain creation with song. (I would mention that this is a recurring theme in the pseudepigrapha, e.g. in Apocalypse of Abraham, Abraham is taught the song that keeps the cherubim under the Throne from warring [chaos]). 

Isa. 44:23 - heavens sing and earth sings

Day of Atonement is part of New Year Festival - new life from Lord, renewal - (Numbers 8 ) Music of levites renewed and also made atonement. According to Origen - Christian music, which is the renewing song of the Levites, brings new life. When humans sing with angels, we are praising the Creator and helping to sustain Creation.

Philo--angels are a choir serving their leader - humans can only praise God through hymns from a pure mind - “blessed are pure in heart for they shall see God”

Therapeutes (considered by Eusebius to be Christian)  sang and danced -evidence for circle dances in Early Christianity

Evil angels cannot sing - Enoch saw that there was no liturgy in 5^th heaven among fallen angels (no singing)

Because of Christ, Christians could once again join the heavenly choirs, singing with angels.

What is more blessed than singing on earth, imitating the angels?

Isaiah must have been a high priest - he entered the Holy of Holies--he sees angels echoing what he is seeing in song - Lord coming to recreate the Earth - song of “Sanctus” is part of the Atonement. “Sanctus” incorporated into Eucharistic service. 

Dr Crispin Fletcher-Louis

Principal of the Westminster Theological Centre

Temple Trumpets and the Angelic Shout

Angels often depicted playing trumpets--Rev. 8-11. Humans also blew trumpets - specifically an imitation of angels. (He gave a handout of references — Lev. 23:4-8, 15-21, 23-25, 26-32, 33-36; Job 38; Ezra 3:10-11; Psalm 89)

From Philo, Biblical Antiquities 13:6 – Festival of trumpets (Lev. 23) involved in renewal of the earth. “Festival of trumpets to be an offering for your watchers” (Lev. 23:23-25) - various interpretations have been offered - Watchers from Enoch tradition and Dan 4 -there were good watchers (i.e., angels) who did not fall - this is an offering of them, not to them - the context is Creation - a memorial of Creation.

The worship somehow re-activates God's creative actions - he reviews and renews Creation. Festival is somehow supposed to be the offering. Memorial commemorated with trumpet blasts - it is a call to remember something else - God remembering people or people remembering God? It says it is a memorial of a shout/trumpet blast (Lev. 23:24 KJV). Are we to remember some shout?

Job 38:4-7 - When the morning stars/sons of God sang/shouted...reference to Sons of God who were in attendance at Creation and shouted for joy - a victory celebration of conquering of chaos.

When the Morning Stars Sang Together by William Blake

Cosmos is macro-temple, so temple is micro-cosmos -- we can connect Job to Leviticus 23, so that singing and trumpet playing of Levites is equivalent to Sons of God singing and shouting for joy at creation of world.

Ezra 3:10-11 - building of new temple involved singing, and people shouted a great shout at laying of foundation of new temple--an echo of the morning stars celebration at founding of Creation. Also looks forward to founding of harmonious society on Earth in future. Praise of a people living in harmony with cosmos. 

Psalm 89 - puts King in cosmic position as representative of God. 

v. 25--given cosmic authority over sea and rivers =power over chaos. 

v. 15 - bleassed are people that know the shout, who walk in light of God's face - they have a cosmic position - they are like Sons of God in beginning - trumpet shout w/ horn — in imitation of angels.

v. 19 - You spoke in a vision to your godly one = granting of position to David is a primordial act

At festival, God reviews creation - (Lev. 23:23-25) Rosh HaShanah

Temple music = Creation praising its Creator

Jill Purce

Jill Purce is the pioneer of the sound healing movement (www.healingvoice.com).  She is trained in the ancient art of chant and utilizes ancient vocal techniques and the power of group chant. This presentation was conducted in the Round Chapel of the Temple Church and involved a wonderful demonstration of chant and participation by the audience.

Harmonics, Vowels, God, and the Angels

Jill Purces' presentation in the Round Chapel -- from http://www.templestudiesgroup.com/images/Symposium2.jpg

King Arthur gathered his knights at the round table much as we are gathered here in the round chapel. 

Chant is a spiritual practice — it involves understanding/participating with the cries of all creatures — this is what happened at Pentecost when all could understand in their own language.

We are now “disenchanted” as a society — we have lost the unity produced by the chant.

How does “form” come into being? Sound creates form. Sound is a bridge between spirit and material form. The coming into being and the duration of being was anciently seen as a soniferous process. Every created form has its own sound.  If you sing the song of the wine glass, you break it. The sound of a thing has the power to take it back to its spiritual state. Sound comes down from God through the heavens to the Earth. 

In Indian tradition, Sheva creates the world through dance and the sound of the alphabet. Voice is a mediator between spirit and body. Sound is the key to creation and dissolution. Song is a longing to go home to God and become one with him. This is related to the idea of Atonement or Mystical Union. Song/voice helps overcome disunity. Song/chants change human physiology, leading to feelings of bliss.  Voice is a spiritual medium.

(She demonstrates for us a chant on one note, pronouncing all seven vowel sounds — her chant produces a rather amazing flute-like sound, which she refers to as “harmonics” — she mentions that harmonics are present because they are part of a natural tone, just as light is composed of various colors — modern notes, such as those of the piano, are flat, out of tune).

Domes, such as that of Temple Church, are usually used in holiest place because they are the place where sound resonates. Sound is brought back to the center — unity. Vowels are pure harmonics–consonants are disruptive and noisy. In ancient languages, vowels were not notated because they were considered sacred. Vowels cannot be unlimited, while consonants cannot be sustained. Singing involves extension of vowel sounds and is seen as inducing order and coherence. Speaking is full of disruptive consonants –noise, not music.

The vowels in the divine name–Yahweh–are important. This is emphasized in Gnostic texts (with their baffling long strings of vowels) –these vowels were to be chanted and have to do with the name Yahweh–they use all seven vowels. This is a chant.

“Amen” was also to be chanted using all seven vowels–an indication of unity/harmony: the restitution of all things. After chant there is to be a moment of silence, likely to give God the opportunity to respond.

Scriptures were meant to be sung –they were annotated with musical instructions. Archaic languages were structured in this way.  (Personal experience: I once had to do an oral exam for a Hebrew class, in which our pronunciation and rythm while reading a biblical Hebrew test was being judged. I chose a passage from Ruth which ends in a genealogy that is almost always sung/chanted. My instructor said that the part that I sang was the most correctly pronounced of the whole passage. I support the idea that the Scriptures were meant to be sung.)

Song = recreation. There are legends that there is a siren on each planet that sings in harmony with the others. Angels come in choirs, not flocks or packs. Egyptian priests sang a harmony of seven bars, invoking the seven principal deities. 

Instrumental music is a mediation between heaven and earth. 

Remember the destruction of Jericho by song.

God’s presence fills the Temple at the sound of unified music. Halelujah is a vowel chant calling on God to shine forth. “Shine, Halelujah!”

The Revd Canon Lucy Winkett

Precentor at St Paul’s Cathedral

The “Rest is Silence”: The Song of the Angels in Contemporary Worship

Cathedral worship/music is based on the Psalms and the Eucharist — this is the worship of the angels, which we join in. Praising the Lord is a high art. 

–Gregorian chant is performed in the Cathedral. Reconstructive performances of the psalms (by Suzanne Haik-Vantoura) are also used. Musical notations are embedded in the Hebrew text –scripture is meant to be sung, and thus brought to life. We shouldn’t see Scriptures as a written, bound volume but as the living Word of God. The Reformers removed the tradition of chanting of the Scripture readings.

Satan is the silencer–he doesn’t/can’t sing.  Satan seeks to destroy the heavenly song.  It is not possible to hear the song of the angels after the Fall.  Temple choirs sang vicariously on behalf of all congregation, Israel, and all humanity.

Babies scream and cry without losing their voice –our vocal apparatus increases in tension as we grow up.

Harmony = good; dissonance = evil. 

There is a strong sense of harmony and resolution in Cathedral liturgical music. Harmony is at the center of Creation. Music embodies and invokes joy, trust and love.  Silence after music allows God to speak–chosen silence, not silenced silence (of devil). Music communicates love — God says “I love you” through the music.

John H Wheeler

A student of Suzanne Haik-Vantoura and the reconstruction of the Psalms. Her American representative as the Director of King David’s Harp Inc.  Check out his intruiging website at http://rakkav.com/biblemusic/.

How the Hebrew Masoretic Text Preserves the Vocal Music of the Second Temple

The notations found in the Hebrew text of Bible are melodic, not syntactic. The music to the psalms, other scriptures was thought to have been lost.  Suzanne Haik-Vantoura spent her life reconstructing the music to the psalms and other scriptural passages. 

Sublinear accents are actually the parts of a musical scale. Superlinear accents are systems of hand gestures (I apologize if I’ve gotten these mixed up–I believe this is what he said).  All scripture was meant to be sung. 

He had us listen to Psalm 148 and other passages with their proposed melody and musical accompaniment, as extracted from the annotations in the Hebrew text.

www.rakkov.com/biblemusic — The Music of the Bible Revealed. 

Example of Prosodia -- Hebrew accents compared to musical notes, from http://www.rakkav.com/biblemusic/pages/thekey.htm

Accents/annotations help understand and remember scripture. Psalmodia and Prosodia. The accents are meant to represent hand gestures that are used to indicate tonal changes (you really have to see him demonstrate this to fully understand).  Biblical books from Genesis to Chronicles are all annotated with musical notations.

Scriptures are very harmonic, however dissonance is used to express severity. In Genesis account, the music is very “severe” when God is blaming Satan for Adam’s fall. 

He sang a number of scriptural passages, using appropriate hand gestures that accompany or signal tonal changes. This demonstration was very intriguing. He ended with the beautiful high priestly blessing (Num. 6), at the request of Margaret Barker.

Rick Huchel

From left to right: Me, Sister Huchel, Richard Wellington, Rick Huchel, Revd Robin Griffith-Jones

Rick Huchel is LDS and a long-time student of  the Temple. He is an independent research historian and resides in North Logan, Utah. Was employed as a specialist in temple matters for the LDS Church translation department. It was great to have Bro. Huchel as a fine representative of the LDS Church at this conference. His presentation was one of the highlights of the program. This presentation is a much abbreviated version of a 100 page paper written on the topic. I also recommend looking at Bryce Haymond’s related post at www.templestudy.com.)

The Cosmic Ring Dance of the Angels: An Early Christian Rite of the Temple

The Sacred Choral Ring Dance (or  prayer circle) has been lost. There is much evidence for the performance of such a ritual anciently in many ancient cultures, religions –including early Christianity. This was a temple ritual.

The purpose of the Circle Dance was to open up a conduit from the Holy of Holies up through the several spheres to finally behold a vision of God on his throne.

–To be master of time, we must first be master of space

Evidence of the ritual in OT, Babylonia, and Egypt - evidence scattered about. Writings of anti-Deuteronomist prophet Nephi attest to it. Matt. 11:16-17  – orcheseste -dance in ring or circle. Acts of John - Jesus says, “Let us sing an hymn,” then bade us make a circle and he himself stood in the middle (paraphrasing). "Hymn of the Dance" - Jesus prayed in hymn and those around repeated, saying Amen. 

Hugh Nibley cites performance of such a hymn according to Clement of Rome. Cyril of Jerusalem - Mary spread out hands to heaven and prayed in an unknown language--resulted in Jesus appearing in their midst. Clement of Alexandria - constantly repeated choral dancing, surrounded by angels. 

Induction into Christian mysteries involved participation in ring dance around altar with the angels.

Where did angels dance? In heaven - a cosmic dance that reflects motions of planets around the Sun. Ring dance of angels circles Christ. 

The Ring Dance or Prayer Circle has the effect of raising the initiate to Heaven - "There is no stirring above unless there is a stirring below"

The Dance is mimetic - 9th Century "Poem of Creation" from Babylonia ensures renewal of cosmic order -renewal of bonds of cosmic covenant -altar represents sun, priests make signs of zodiac with hands and imitate planets in circular motion.

The Egyptians believed this ritual was done to achieve everlasting stability and keep Chaos at bay (my note: this is the purpose for the song Abraham is taught in Apocalypse of Abraham). 

The ritual is a mirror of the original dance at Creation

The clasping of hands = union of elements; Gestures of hands = movement of cosmos

At the crossing of the Red Sea, Moses led men in song, while Miriam led women in song. Job tells daughters and sons to make circle around him and that he would teach them in that setting.

–Dance symbolizes ritual combat

Byzantine choros - was/is a great chandelier that is whirled at Easter at Mt. Athos. This is done to represent the movements of the cosmic spheres — chandeliers decorated with depictions of cherubim, planets, etc.  (for a modern depiction of this tradition, see these videos: Swinging Chandelier at Pascha and Paschal Matins at Mt. Athos ).

Although Sun is center of Solar System, the Prophets experienced ascension in geocentric terms - a geocentric cosmos based on the viewer’s perspective. Earth is at center of cosmic sphere (earth composed of land, water, air, and fire) - earth is at center of several concentric crystal spheres - the ancient seven heavens. Each sphere represents rotation of planet. 8th sphere is dome of stars (firmament) - 9th heaven is above firmament - 10th heaven is highest, fiery heaven where God dwells.

Musical scales –do (domingo), re, mi, fa, so (each stands for something specific relating to heavens) - these are the sounds/vibrations of the various spheres.  Music of creation/of the heavens was audible but its sound was dulled by sin/the Fall. This music accompanied the creation hymn - the “new song” is a  song of renewing the cosmic covenant. This song is a chant - the shout or song of sons of God at Creation. This music accompanies the circle dance. (I got the idea that the song, or chant, could be simply the repetition of words in unity). 

The Hopi circle dance is meant to open up a conduit to the heavens - specifically, the hand gestures open up the heavens.

But how can we imagine the rotation of the heavenly crystal spheres as making music? Ben Franklin made a glass harmonica (armonica or hydrocrystalophone), based on earlier “seraphim” crystalline circle instrument. It was a series of glass circles that played music.  (Huchel describes this as comparable to music of heavenly spheres)

Ben Franklin's Glass Armonica

Anti-Deuteronomist prophet Lehi  saw heavens open to see God on Throne - a conduit opening up from earth to heaven.

Circle dance as performed by Hopis involves a solemn chant--slow, rhythmic, solemn movements.

Psalm 150

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, no less, commented on the nature of Christian liturgical hymns — it is always a cosmic liturgy - human music must be in harmony with the heavens, the universe.

Prayer circle is meant to open a conduit through space and time - to move back to the first day of creation in front of throne of God - to participate with Morning Stars (Job 38).

Joseph Smith, in response to his prayer,  saw a “pillar of light” (or fire, according to another account) descend until it rested upon him.

Joseph called to realize a Restoration of Jesus Christ’s Church (renewal of all things)

            –He set up temple of God

 –at Kirtland Temple some saw a conduit of fire extending from temple up to Heaven.

          –Heavens opened, angels appeared, speaking in tongues

–Angels walked on top of temple --reminds us of Jacob's ladder

–A modern Pentecost at Kirtland Temple

–sound of rushing mighty wind, visions, angels, tongues, temple appeared to be on fire, pillar of light noticed by outsiders

–tongues of fire on each person

–One man claimed that he could not see the floor nor the ceiling of the temple, but all was opened and connected by this conduit. – axis mundi (it seems that he had a slightly different rendering of this term) = a spiral conduit to the throne of God from Holy of Holies

–many heard heavenly music

The ancient prayer circle was restored in Kirtland and Nauvoo among the LDS people. The ritual involves sacred clothing, ritual gestures, key words– signs and tokens of priesthood (Note: Huchel is citing published LDS sources here and did not include any sensitive material or details of sacred ceremonies in his description).

Theophany is the object of the ring dance — to open a conduit to see God on His throne and participate with angels in praise of God.

Dancing had its origin in the ancient temple. It involved an imitation of the angels in their circles (Ezekiel’s “wheels within wheels”). 

Professor at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music and Fellow at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He is a leading expert on liturgical music. Unfortunately, I had some difficulty understanding his presentation.

The Origin of Christian Chant

There exists a sacred bridge which connects Jewish and Christian religious music. Their chants are of ancient origin. A small set of melodies is common to both religions.

            –both use OT texts

            –Gregorian chants have a remarkable preference for OT

In Catholic tradition, psalms are sung during Mass, Epiphany, vigils, etc.

Hallelujah chant added as invocation at end of psalms.

Some hymns came from extra-biblical sources.

There are many parallels between Christian and Jewish chants–some Christian chants are so similar that it seemed that one directly copied the other. Their chants have extremely similar structure (which he proceeded to demonstrate with a handout and with audio that show similarity of Jewish and Christian–especially Gregorian–chants). 

Things to Look Forward To

The next Temple Studies Group symposium will be held on Saturday, 7 November 2009 at the Temple Church in London. The topic for this conference will be “The Holy Anointing Oil.” If all goes as planned, I should be attended this conference, and will again share my notes. To read more about it, visit http://www.templestudiesgroup.com/Symposia.htm#III

Margaret Barker has a new book set to be published by T&T Clark in November 2009. The title will be “Creation: The Biblical View for the Environment,” and will express Margaret’s views on creation theology and how early Christians would have seen their role in taking care of the world. Read more about it here: http://www.margaretbarker.com/Publications/Creation.htm

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