OCMT 2016

Historically, part of the death ritual in Greece incorporated the singing of funeral lament (moiroloi). The typical moiroloi is a narrative song, telling the story of the deceased and communicating with the deceased, in a semi-structured, semi-improvised manner with weeping elements in the singing. The therapeutic value of the moiroloi in Chios, Greece, was examined through semi-structured interviews with female lamenters. Musical, narrative and story-telling elements from the moiroloi provided the basis for a music therapy intervention with a bereaved 7-year old girl, who presented health issues following the death of her father.