Music

When, indeed, the Holy Spirit saw that the human race was guided only with difficulty toward virtue, and that, because of our inclination toward pleasure, we were neglectful of an upright life, what did He do? The delight of the melody He mingled with the doctrines so that by the pleasantness and softness of the sound heard, we might receive without perceiving it the benefits of the words, just as wise physicians who, with giving the fastidious rather bitter drugs to drink, frequently smear the cup with honey. Therefore, He devised for is these harmonious melodies of the psalms, that they who are children in age, or even those who are youthful in disposition, might to all appearances chant, but in reality, become trained in soul.
-St. Basil the Great