History and Tradition of Psaltic Music in Botoșani. Psalts and Psaltic Schools in Botoșani

In the 19th century, amid the great church musical changes worldwide, the Romanian psaltery imposed a strong national seal, even managing to create its own style, later recognized by all Orthodox countries. Thus, in this age, the Romanian church music reaches the highest degree of development ever reached in our country. In Moldova, as in Wallachia, the psaltic music enjoyed a wide spread. Through the efforts of great music lovers, such as metropolitan Veniamin Costachi, Hieromonk Visarion, Gheorghe Paraschiade, Dimitrie Suceveanu, Saint Metropolitan Iosif Naniescu and others, the Romanian psaltery has experienced a strong and beautiful development. The psaltic church music has also reached the lands of Botosani being proven since ancient times. Here functioned schools of psaltic music, led by great protopsalts who formed generations of church singers, who served through their beautiful songs dedicated to God at the pews of the churches and monasteries of Botosani.