Samaritans. Organum may be sung in either duplum or triplum. In the former it is sung in the fifth when the boys and men sing together with the cantus firmus in the upper voice, or in the fourth when the groups sing alone. In triplum it is sung in the fourth and octave. The Margam Kali is a traditional Saint Thomas Christian dance. The accompanying music is performed by a choir singing in Syriac chant, with a sleeyankolu (triangle) maintaining rhythm. Another traditional instrument is the violin or revekka. Chant accentuation Traditional chant accentuation derives from the Syriac standard, which was instituted by the scholars known as the Masoretes in the Middle Ages. The form is similar to that codified by the Hebrew grammarians of Tiberias for Jewish cantillation of the Bible. It features dot notation above, below, and to the side of words in the text. The names of the notations are expressive, reflecting the style of Syriac Bible reading and chant in general. Thoma Parvam One important Saint Thomas Christian song is the "Thoma Parvam", or "Song of Thomas". The song contains a colophon claiming it was first written in 1601 by a certain Maliekel Thoma Ramban, though the manuscripts are of a much later date. The words give an account of Thomas the Apostle's purported evangelical work in India in the 1st century. References Kerala society Christian liturgical music Music history Saint Thomas Christians