The Instructor 2.4.44

And perhaps the ten-stringed psaltery points to the Word, Jesus, manifested by the letter of the number ten. As it is fitting, before we partake of food, to bless the Maker of all, so it is proper at drinking to sing psalms to him as we partake of his creatures; for the psalm is a melodious and sober blessing. The apostle called the psalm a “spiritual song.” And above all it is holy, before going to sleep, to give thanks to God, having enjoyed his grace and love for humankind, so that we may go to sleep in a godly way. “And confess to him with songs of the lips,” it says; “for at his command all his good pleasure is done, and there is no lessening of his salvation.” Among the ancient Greeks too, at drinking parties and over the brimming cups, in imitation of the Hebrew psalms, a song called the skolion was sung, all singing the paean together with one voice, and sometimes in turn passing the toasts of the song around; the more musical among them sang to the lyre. But let love songs be banished far away, and let our songs be hymns to God. “Let them praise his name in the dance,” it says; “let them play to him with timbrel and psaltery.” And what the singing chorus is, the Spirit himself will tell you: “His praise is in the assembly of the holy; let them rejoice in their king.” And again he adds: “For the Lord takes pleasure in his people.” We must admit temperate harmonies, driving as far as possible from our vigorous mind the truly soft harmonies, which, playing tricks with the modulations of sounds, lead to effeminacy and buffoonery; while austere and temperate melodies bid farewell to the arrogance of drunkenness. Chromatic harmonies, then, are to be left to shameless drunken parties and to flowery, courtesan music.