Devotional song

A devotional song is a hymn which accompanies religious observances and rituals. Each major religion has its own tradition with devotional hymns. In the West, the devotional has been a part of the liturgy in Roman Catholicism, the ree! "rthodo# Church, the Russian "rthodo# Church, and others, since their earliest days. A devotional is a part of the prayer service proper and is not, in these conte#ts, ornamentation. $uring the %rotestant Reformation, church music in general was hotly debated. &ome %uritans objected to all ornament and sought to abolish choirs, hymns, and, inasmuch as liturgy itself was rejected, devotionals. In Eastern and 'ear(Eastern religions, devotionals can function as communion prayer and meditation. )hese are sung in particular rhythms which are sustained over a prolonged period to give practitioners a mystical e#perience.