Psalmody is the calm of the soul, the repose of the spirit, the arbiter of peace. It silences the waves, and conciliates the whirlwind of our passions, soothing the impetuous, tempering the unchaste. It is an engenderer of friendship, a healer of dissension, a reconciler of enemies. For who can longer count him his enemy, with whom, to the throne of God, he hath raised the strain? Psalmody repels the demons and lures the ministry of angels. It is a weapon of defense in nightly terrors and a respite from daily toil. To the infant, it is a presiding genius; to manhood, a crown of glory; a balm of comfort to the aged; a congenial ornament to women.
Basil the Great (330-379)
