From the highest world culture rostrum, a tribute was paid to the Dean of the faculty of music at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik Rev. Fr. Prof. Louis Al-Hajj on the 8th of June 2010, as a sign of appreciation for the efforts he made to reform the sacred Syro-Maronite melodies. The ceremony was organized by “St Charbel’s House” in Paris presided by Rev. Fr. Fouad Zwein, in cooperation with the French Solidarity Association, at the UNESCO Paris, under the patronage of the ambassador to UNESCO in Paris, Mrs. Sylvie Fadlallah, and within the framework of the ceremonies held by the organization on the occasion of the year of St Maron. Rev. Fr. Louis Al-Hajj was represented by Rev. Fr. Dr. Badih Al-Hajj, and his office’s secretary Ms. Claude Al-Achkar, as father Louis Al-Hajj himself was unable to attend the ceremony due to health problems.

At the beginning, Rev. Fr. Fouad Zouein made a welcome speech where he summed up the work of Rev. Fr. Louis Al-Hajj who conducted a research into the Maronite music, founded the model choir in Lebanon, and headed the faculty of music for education, instruction and in-depth research into the Lebanese Maronite music.

The secretary of the Dean’s office, Ms. Claude Al-Achkar presented a documentary tracing the life of the late Rev. Fr. Hajj, his professional and theological career, his most memorable words, works, as well as musical, sacred and cultural compositions.

Rev. Fr. Badih Al-Hajj read the speech previously prepared by Rev. Fr. Louis Al-Hajj for the occasion, a speech where the latter listed the five groups of chants used in the Maronite sacred music: The Syro-Maronite chants, the Syro-Arabic chants, the personal Maronite melodies, the improvised melodies and the foreign melodies.

The ceremony ended with the signing of Rev. Fr. Louis Al-Hajj’s books, on the zither melodies of the reputed player Imad Morkos, graduate of the faculty of music at the Holy Spirit University- Kaslik.