Shaping the Byzantine Chanting Tradition of Thessaloniki: The Constantinopolitans’ Impact in the First Half of the 20th century

This paper attempts to highlight the significant role of Constantinopolitan chanters in the development of the Greek Orthodox church music of Thessaloniki. Due to historical circumstances, a large number of chanters from Constantinople arrived successively in the region of Thessaloniki during the first half of the 20th century. Their higher music education and undisputed chanting experience made them rapidly notorious. They were very much appreciated by church commissioners, who often hired them for church services. Their contribution is also certified in the domains of byzantine music teaching, book and newspaper publishing, while at the same time they were very socially active, by supporting many local cultural or artistic unions and charity organisations. The dominant presence of the Constantinopolitan chanters gave a new meaning to the ecclesiastical life of Thessaloniki, changing the people’s perception towards the liturgical music of the Greek Orthodox church. Most of the material examined for this paper derives from the archives of the Chanters Union of Thessaloniki (Σωματείο Ιεροψαλτών Θεσσαλονίκης ‘Ιωάννης ο Δαμασκηνός’), established in 1903, and also from private archives of long gone Constantinopolitan chanters. Furthermore, other known basic methods of research in the field, such as interviews and participant observation, were implemented