Evidently, the polyphonic singing of Epirus is a tool of expression for the individual or the group, through framework specific rules, but also giving the individuals
freedom to express, support and strengthen the meaning of the song in their own ways.
If one of these roles is missing, the meaning and the sound will not be the same. The expression will be poorer, and the purpose of the song will be weaker. The simultaneous execution of all these roles gives the Polyphonic singing of Epirus its unique sonic thumbprint.
It is not the expected polyphonic result that one would expect from a western music standpoint, as it has its roots in Byzantine music and even much earlier, as its archaic sound testifies.
It is this unique character that comes in perfect harmony with the surrounding natural environment. The rough, repetitive, majestic, echoing but challenging beauty of the landscape in the area of Pogoni, where this singing still flourishes, is not only directly reflected in the sound of the songs, but is also the reason behind the tight communities that gather and support their members, making songs that reflect the difficulties but also the beauties of the landscape.
Michális Ganás, describing the polyphonic singing of Epirus mentions ´´’’These songs are not based on a singer with a good voice, but in the polyphony of the team. Every voice has its own space inside the song and contributes to the expression of collective passion, or the personal that is expressed collectively. The singers are close one to another and often they form a circle. Music instruments are absent. That is why the voices are so solitary. These songs either you hear, and you get goosebumps or you cannot stand them. There is no middle ground. This because they are not made to be liked but to express something, following the straighter road to the folks soul. Directness.’’
All over Epirus but more specifically in the province of Pogoni the music idiom of polyphonic music has survived up to the present day. It is a purely vocal tradition in its birth (example 1), which is lost in time, even though in modern times there is the possibility of supporting the vocal tradition with music instruments that borrow their phrases exactly from the voices of the polyphonic group (example 2). In the Unesco list of intangible cultural heritages,´´The Polyphonic Song of Epirus, one of the most significant examples in the repertoire of world polyphonic music, is a living tradition and an element of the cultural identity of the populations of the borderland region of Epirus and the Greek minority of Albania. It was developed in parallel with byzantine music, whereas it shares affinity with other forms of polyphony, such as the Albanian. Researchers have classified the Polyphonic Song of Epirus as being encompassed in the broader arc of regions in which polyphony is practiced that includes the Balkans, Caucasus, Northern Iran, Afghanistan, Northern India and Indonesia (ayla.culture.gr). It becomes clear that polyphonic songs can be found in different places in the world. They serve the purpose of expression, exchange of information, archiving of tradition and historical truth of a community. These are universal needs of communities that are majorly fulfilled with polyphonic traditions as much as music traditions in most of the places in the world.
In the example of Epirus, we come across some special characteristics of polyphonic singing that imparts the music with its special character. As a first, the polyphonic singing of Epirus is a group type of singing. It roots are lost in time(research). It appears as a multitool in the hands of the community. ´´The Polyphonic Song of Epirus, over time, became an integral part of the inhabitants’ daily life, in the space of its survival. It accompanied their activities, group work in the fields and tending livestock, the customs and seasonal cycle of the year and of their lives. In recent decades, with the social changes in its “birthplace”, the intense emigration, the subsequent rupture in the chain of generations and land depopulation, the polyphonic song is to be found mainly in community entertainment and celebrations, as well as remaining a song of the cycle of customs (festivals – panigyria – weddings, christenings, etc.). Over time, the polyphonic song constitutes a privileged, community expression for the local population, underlying collective memory and expression as an element of identification, sparking unmediated gatherings and festivities of daily life, matching the shiver from its hearing to the vigour of the voices, stretching the pulse of a living tradition.´´ (Polyphonic.gr)
The singing transcends the individual level and gives strong collective support to the expression. Therefore, we see that it became an important tool for the community. Sharing, being physically and mentally supported by the group, and expressing deep meaning are what give the polyphonic singing in Epirus its character.
In thematology, Vivi G. Kanelatou identifies songs of religious character, songs of love and wedding, immigration, work of the land or the sea, with teaching, opinion, satyric or mourning character, focusing in the topic of death and the loss of life (Kanellatou, 2010).
There are at least four roles within this type of singing that have to exist in order to achieve their meanings. They are the distinctive roles of Partis, Giristis, Klosths, Isokratis and those of Richtis and Prologistis. As described in the work of Vivi G Kanelatou, they are the following:
* Partis: The one who holds the basic melodic structure of the song and leads the group
*Giristis: The one who improvises around the main melody freely within specific tones but also follows the direction of Partis.
* Klostis: Has a similar role to Giristis, but in the higher octave and slightly different direction
* Isokratis: The one who holds the ison in the tonic of the song almost exclusively, creating the base for the rest of the group
* Richtis: Has the role of keeping a break between two halves of a verse or between the part of Prologistis and the group singing, also helping the tuning of the group
* Prologistis: The one who speaks the lyrics of each verse before the group sings them, mainly to support Partis.