Music in Egypt

As is the case with other Egyptian institutions, music was very ancient in its origin, antedating 3000 B.C., and was intimately connected with religion and through this with astronomy. There were many stages of development, which culminated in the Golden Age, 1500-1200 B.C., when music was employed as a social diversion and as an adjunct of religion, and was placed in the hands of carefully trained professional dancers, players, and singers, who formed orchestras and choruses. National poetry, thus united with song, referred to death, the frailty of human things, and the blessed future state. After the Golden Age, music gradually degenerated, losing its individuality when Egypt was finall conquered by Persia in 525 B.C.

The data from which we have derived our only knowledge of Egyptian music have been gleaned from hierglyphics, bas-reliefs, paintings, and remains of instruments; and these show that stringed and wind instruments vastly predominated. The national instrument was the harp, which was made in all sizes, from the portable kinds to the magnificently decorated and enormous temple harps, played upon only by men. The harps varied in number of strings up to twenty-three, and were always constructed without a supporting pillar in front. Other stringed instruments were lutes and lyres.

The chief wind instruments were single and double pipes and flutes; while for martial music there were trumpets, drums, and the Sistrum, the last named a horseshow-shaped instrument with a handle, played upon by jangling the metal bars fastened across it.

From the structure of the instruments we infer tha the scale was diatonic; and also, from the size of the orchestras in which women were allowed to take part, it is possible that some sort of harmony existed. In these orchestras, which were always represented as having a leader, stringed instruments preponderated.