Women and Chanting

Protopresbyter Dimitrios Athanasiou | April 21, 2026

 

 

Introductory remarks

Following the contemporary discussion surrounding the participation of women at the sacred analogion, one observes that it is often conducted in terms of an unjustified exclusion. This approach tends to overlook the historical and essential role of woman in worship; from the Deaconesses of the early Christian Church to the great hymnographers, such as Saint Kassiani, the female presence has always been an organic and inseparable part of ecclesiastical life.

It is necessary to proceed to a clear theological distinction: the Apostle Paul defines ecclesiastical order by restricting the teaching and public preaching of women within the assembly. In no case does he forbid psalmody. Hymnography constitutes the common prayer and confession of faith of the whole body of the faithful. When we expend ourselves on universal prohibitions, we risk losing the essence of the soteriological message: that Christ abolished every ontological division.

“There is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

Support for women’s participation in the chanters’ stand is not identical with a demand for entry into the special priesthood. It concerns participation in the general priesthood of the faithful and in the “sacrifice of praise” owed by every baptized soul.

Since Ecclesiastical Music is preeminently the music of worship and not a means of display, the criteria for participation ought to be:

1. Piety and reverence.

2. The ability to offer service to the Body of Christ.

3. A humble mind and spiritual formation.

If we wish to speak of strict observance of order, one reminder is necessary: according to the canons, male chanters ought to be tonsured Readers. In current ecclesiastical practice, however, strictness is often applied selectively to sex rather than to the essential canonical prerequisite.

In the face of a conservative “hyper-Orthodox” position that establishes a new legalism, the Church sets forth the spirit of love and equality. Any attempt to marginalize woman in worship is judged foreign to the ethos of the God-Man, Who made His Church an embrace spacious enough for every person who desires to hymn Him with purity and reverence.

Next, we shall present the main points of Ms. E. Spyrakou’s research entitled: “The Female Presence in the Art of Chanting: The Case of the Urban Churches of the Byzantine Empire.” Evangelia (Eugenia) Spyrakou, a member of the Special Educational Personnel of the Department of Music Science and Art at the University of Macedonia, was the first to analyze systematically the function of the Byzantine choirs, demonstrating that the woman chanter constituted an institutional and organic member of the liturgical system.

Those interested can find the entire study online.

The main points of the study follow, organized for easier understanding:

The Institutional Organization of Women Chanters

Historical research shows that the female chanting presence in Byzantium was not a random phenomenon, but a strictly organized activity. The women who staffed the analogia were divided into specific ranks, each with its own role, social position, and liturgical responsibility.

1. The Asketriai and the Asketeria

The category of the Asketriai is the most frequent reference in the sources and forms the basis of female hymnody. These were semi-monastic sisterhoods that did not live in isolated cenobitic communities, but in special buildings (“asketeria”) located within the precincts of the great churches. They constituted the most numerous body of the women’s choirs. Their presence beside the churches allowed them to participate daily in the liturgical cycle of the secular parishes, bridging monasticism and parish life.

2. The Deaconesses as Leading Figures

Beyond their administrative, charitable, and auxiliary duties (such as the baptism of women), the Deaconesses held a pivotal role in psalmody.

The study documents that they functioned as the heads of the women’s choirs. They were responsible for coordinating the Asketriai, ensuring the harmonious execution of the hymns and the observance of the typikon, a fact that gave them particular standing within the ecclesiastical body.

3. The Graptai and Professional Chanting

A particularly interesting category brought to light by the Typikon of the Monastery of the Pantokrator (12th century) is the Graptai. The term indicates that they were officially enrolled in the registers of the lower clergy. They were salaried employees of the Church, which demonstrates the professional character of the female art of chanting. They participated in specialized services, such as the Office of Intercession, and their position was regarded as equal to that of the deaconesses.

4. The Myrrhbearers of Jerusalem

In the Typikon of Jerusalem, we encounter the order of the Myrrhbearers, a term rich in symbolism that refers to the first women witnesses of the Resurrection. Their activity was centered on the All-Holy Tomb. Their participation in the chanting of that sacred place highlighted the connection of the female voice with the joyful proclamation of the Resurrection, strengthening the theological dimension of their role.

5. The Example of Hagia Sophia and the Monastery of the Pantokrator

Hagia Sophia in Constantinople constituted the model of this organization:

The Legislation of Justinian: It provided for 100 “adousai” (singing women) incorporated into the clergy. They were divided into two groups (“asketeria”) that alternated weekly. They lived in special “skenomata” (dwellings) around the perimeter of the church. This organization made possible a continuous female chanting presence in the daily services, highlighting the grandeur and rich vocal character of the capital.

The development of the institution reaches the 12th century with the order of the Graptai. In the Foundational Typikon of the Monastery of the Pantokrator (1136), four women chanters are explicitly mentioned as holding an official place among the Monastery’s personnel. The designation “Graptai” indicates their formal registration in the payroll records. It is noteworthy that their position was considered equivalent to that of the Deaconesses, a fact that bestowed upon the women chanters particular spiritual and social standing.

6. Liturgical Role and Antiphonal Singing

The women did not chant in isolation, but formed part of a broader choral system: they chanted antiphonally (alternately) with the male chanters, the Readers, or the male Ascetics. They participated especially in the Amomos (Psalm 118), in troparia of Orthros, and in funeral services. They were usually positioned in the women’s gallery, in the narthex, or at specific places to the left of the Holy Altar (for example, near the Prothesis).

7. The “Polyphony” of the Byzantine Choir

One of E. Spyrakou’s most interesting findings concerns the sound color of the period. The Byzantine choir was not only male, but a composite of:

1. Male voices (Chanters).

2. High female frequencies (Asketriai, Deaconesses).

3. High eunuch frequencies (very widespread in Byzantium).

4. Children’s voices (Orphans, Canonarchs).

The female voice accounted for approximately one third of the total vocal volume, creating a rich timbral effect that symbolized the unity of creation (“one voice from different tongues”).

8. Historical Development and Confusion of Terms

With the passage of the centuries (especially after the 12th century), the institution of the Deaconesses declined. This led to a confusion of terms, in which the Asketriai were often improperly called “deaconesses,” while gradually the female chanting presence became restricted chiefly to women’s monasteries, losing its institutional role in the great urban churches.

The study’s answer

The study documents that women chanted systematically and for pay in the secular churches of the Byzantine Empire, though not in the same way that they chant today. Their participation was integrated into a structured choral system with specific conditions and ranks. The study demonstrates that the female chanting presence in secular churches was institutionalized and normatively regulated in the Byzantine Empire. As for the present day, the study does not give a direct answer, but it does historically establish that the Church had recognized and systematically incorporated the female voice into worship — in contrast to current practice, where female participation in the art of chanting in secular churches has to a great extent disappeared.

 

Greek source: https://fdathanasiou-parakatathiki.blogspot.com/2026/04/blog-post_8.html