Melodic intonation in ‘Golgotha’ as evidence of Ancient Egyptian and Arabic influence in Coptic music

Successive civilisations in Egypt created the current Egyptian culture. This started with the ancient Egyptian civilisation, which lasted for thousands of years, then the Coptic, which began in the first century AD, and this was followed by the Arab civilisation, which began in the 7th century. This succession influenced Coptic music in particular, as some liturgical hymns derived from the ancient Egyptians. Current Coptic music sounds Arab-influenced today; however, the Copts lived in Egypt about seven centuries before the arrival of the Arabs in Egypt. This research investigates this triple connection using two approaches. The first is the nay, an instrument found since the time of the ancient Egyptians and a witness to their music system. It is still used in Egypt within the Arabic music system. The second is a melodic intonation study of the Coptic hymn 'Golgotha’, believed to be derived from the ancient Egyptian era and used as a funerary hymn.

The research analysis and results illustrate the relationship between the Pythagorean and the ancient Egyptian music systems and indicate to what extent Coptic music can be used to obtain more knowledge of ancient Egyptian music.