"Brit-Am Now"-688
Contents:
1. French Canadian "Quadrille"
2. Ashira Morgenstern: Modality not Melody
3. Error Corrected

1. French Canadian "Quadrille"
From: A
Subject: "Brit-Am Now"-687
item #1. Israelite Temple Music, Irish and Appalachian Music

Hi, Yair.
Tell your friend, Ashira, to look into French Canadian "Quadrille" music, as well.
It's a very old musical form that bears clearly discernible rhythmic and other similarities to its Celtic siblings.
Like language, music is handed down hierarchically and is altered over time but it usually retains characteristics that allow it to be traced back to an earlier "Mother".
I never mentioned the subject of this obvious musical similarity to you because I feared being labeled as a fringe lunatic. LOL  I seem to be in good company, after all.
Send this link...
http://www.voyagerrecords.com/catcan.htm

Incidentally, it will require no great mental effort to imagine this music being played on a simple flute or any other primitive wind instrument.
The young shepherd, David, himself, might have played some very similar tunes to while away the long solitary hours in the hills.
A

2. Ashira Morgenstern: Modality not Melody

R' Yair - Shalom,

An important correction in what you posted recently about music.
There is no possible way -- at present -- to discern melodies from the Beis HaMikdash.
If you replace the word "melody" with "modality" in what you wrote -- we'll be closer to the truth.
I believe mentioned the distinction to you, but I apologize for not explaining the concept more fully.
All the best,
Chag Kasher v'Samayach,
A.M.

Brit-Am Comment: Ashira explained that in layman's terms "modality" means type of music whereas
"melody" means a specific tune.
We said:
<<the Music used in the Temple gave rise
to the traditional melodies of Ireland and that Spanish music also
shows the same influence. >>

This should preferably be replaced by:
<<the Music used in the Temple would seem to have had
a similar modality to that later known from
the music of Ireland. Spanish music also
shows the same influence. >>

Since the research on Temple Music is still in progress and some tentative conclusions have yet to be confirmed
Ashira would prefer NOT to correspond on the issue at this stage.

3. Error Corrected
re "Brit-Am Now"-687
item #2. The Bagpipes in Scripture
We said:
<<PSALTERY>>: "Simponia" in Aramaic. PSALTERY in the King James is the usual translation for the Hebrew word "nabal" which we have interpreted to mean "bagpipes" (1-Samuel 10:5).
But we also quoted the Wikipedia:
<<This is also the opinion of "modern" commentators as mentioned by Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagpipes
<<although the Aramaic word sumponyah ( ), appearing in Daniel 3:5, 10, and 15, has been translated "dulcimer" (a stringed instrument) and "symphony", modern Bible translations generally render the expression as "bagpipe." Koehler and Baumgartners Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros gives the meaning "bagpipe" (Leiden 1958, p. 1103).>>

There is a discrepancy between the Brit-Am identification of Sumponia with Psalter
and that of the Wikipedia of sumponyah (i.e. Sumponia) with Dulcimer.
Who is correct?

Answer: Wikipedia is correct. The Brit-Am Commentary has been corrected.
See:
Bagpipes in the Bible
http://britam.org/Daniel/daniel3.html#Bagpipes

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