Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 3: Religious Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods America’s Musical Landscape 5th edition

Part 1: Music in Early North America

Chapter 3: Religious Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods

America’s Musical Landscape 5th edition

PowerPoint by Myra Lewinter MalamutGeorgian Court University

© 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved

Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 3: Religious Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods

2© 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Religious music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods

As early as the sixteenth century, inhabitants of the New World experienced a variety of native and imported musics Including Roman Catholic Music

French and Spanish visitors accompanied their own worship with music

The missionaries taught the music to the Indians in Florida and in the Southwest as part of the conversion process to Roman Catholicism



Music at the Spanish Missions Taught by missionaries, American Indians learned

To sing and perform Christian songs and prayers, including choral singing

To play instruments in church orchestras To create simple European-style instruments To sing traditional Spanish music, praise songs or hymns,

and Gregorian Chant To perform at Christmas in musical nativity plays called

Las Posadas (The Lodgings), about the struggles of Mary in finding a place to deliver the baby Jesus



Spanish missions Remained active in California

Catholic church music was regularly performed there By missionaries By Native Americans

But the Mexican government ordered missions closed in 1833

Musical instruments and music manuscripts of mass settings and church music have been found at mission sites

Catholic music remained important in regions inhabited by Spanish, French, or Mexican people



The Protestant Influence The Protestant custom of singing psalms

and hymns dominated the religious music experience in this country

Religious songs inspired and comforted people in the North and South

New England’s practices exerted the strongest and longest-lasting influence on American music



Psalm Tunes: Martin Luther and the Protestent Reformation 1517 in Europe: German Catholic cleric

Martin Luther (1483-1546) instigated the Protestant Reformation, protesting practices of the Roman Catholic church Other people in northern European countries

then formed their own Protestant sects Protestants sang hymns in their vernacular

(common) language Hymns: Had simple folklike tunes, easy to sing



Psalm Tunes: The Pilgrams and Puritans Pilgrams and

Puritans in New England in the early seventeenth century were Protestants The protestations

against Roman Catholicism included religious music

Pilgrams Going to ChurchPainted by George H. Boughton



Psalm Tunes: The Pilgrams and Puritans

Followers of Swiss reformer John Calvin (1509-1564) believed the only texts suitable for singing in a worship service were the psalms,150 inspirational verses from the Old Testament of the Bible

Hymns, forbidden in a worship service, had freely written texts not necessarily based on Biblical passages or from church liturgy



Psalm tunes and the Calvinists Calvinists retranslated the psalms into verses

having a regular number of lines with patterns of weak and accented beats suitable for setting to music

Calvinists believed the only purpose for music in a church service was to enhance expression of a religious text, not to stir emotions and not for the music itself In worship, sang a cappella (unaccompanied), in unison Outside of worship Calvinists enjoyed harmony and

instrumental accompaniment with their psalm tunes



Psalm tunes became a folk tradition

Psalm tunes were Folklike in nature Learned from oral experience Strophic in form

4-line stanzas Ornamentation and variation in the singing was

typical of folk song singing



Psalm tunes and psalters Psalter: A book containing the metered and

rhymed psalm verses, for use in congregational singing Some psalters contained notated melodies Others had no music but only the words, which could be

sung to familiar tunes 1539: The first collection of psalm tunes was

printed in Switzerland 1551: The first edition of the Geneva Psalter

appeared in Geneva, Switzerland



Listening Example 11Old HundredBy Louis Bourgeois (c. 1510-c. 1560)Listening guide page 51

Form: Strophic (only 1 stanza is heard)Meter: Quadruple, as well as long meter, entailing four line

stanzas with eight syllables; any psalm in long meter could be sung to any long meter tune

Rhythm: Altered from the original rhythm sung long ago

Also known as the Doxology, “Praise God, from Whom All BlessingsFlow,” this setting of Psalm 100 is the most famous psalm tune of all

A four-part choir sings a cappella in this examplewith soprano melody



Psalm tunes and psalters: Sternhold and Hopkins A psalter named after

The man who printed the first metrical psalter in English, and… The man who wrote the most translations to the new version

Printed for Calvinists in England in 1562

The West’s most important religious text next to the Bible for more than a century, Sternhold and Hopkins included Some tunes from the Geneva Psalter Several folklike melodies people most likely already knew 17 metrical patterns to which psalm verses could be sung

All verses with the same metrical pattern could be sung to the same melody



Psalm tunes and psalters: Ainsworth Psalter (Amsterdam, 1612) English Calvinists fled persecution in England in

the sixteenth century They sought religious freedom in Holland Became known in Holland as Separatists In exile from England, they printed Ainsworth Psalter

Included greater metric variety than Sternhold and Hopkins

Both of these psalters contain lively, merry tunes that some referred to as “Geneva jigs,” just like popular Renaissance dances



Psalm tunes and psalters:The Bay Psalm Book Most English settlers left their homeland without instruments

Settlers brought their psalters

Communication wasn’t like today; settlers lost touch with current music abroad

Settlers’ music experience consisted of singing psalm tunes A cappella for worship in church In harmony and acompanied for home entertainment

1640: The first book printed in the New World was The Whole Booke of Psalms Faithfully Translated into English Metre Popularly called the Bay Psalm Book, printed in Massachusetts



Other Protestant Music John Calvin proscribed all music but the singing

of unaccompanied psalm tunes in church

Martin Luther encouraged joyful singing of simple tunes and lighthearted texts in worship, some of which he composed Lutherans sang hymns, many of which are still sung today The famous “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” was by Martin

Luther



Other Protestant Music: German-Speaking Protestant Sects Included

Mennonites Moravians

Responding to William Penn’s policy of religious toleration, German-speaking Protestants fled persecution in Europe and settled in Pennsylvania, then in other regions as well In America, they kept much of their culture intact Their language and religious practices isolated them from

the Protestant Anglo-American mainstream in the colonies



Other Protestant Music:Mennonites 1683: Mennonites arrived in the US, mostly

from Germany

Background 1520s: Mennonites were founded in Europe Refused on religious grounds to perform military

service Rejected a state church, resulting in European

persecution



Mennonite Music Mennonites had their own hymnals

and psalters, some with notated music for hymns and psalms

But the old hymn tunes were preserved by oral tradition

Mennonite schoolmasters compiled tune books with traditional texts and tunes:

Title pages were decorated with Fraktur, a Pennsylvania-German Mennonite folk art with highly ornamental combination of calligraphyand script, including flowers, figures, and geometric designs

Example of Fraktur



Other Protestant Music:Moravians and others The late seventeenth century and early

eighteenth century Waves of emigrant Protestants came to America including

Members of the English Society of Friends, called the Quakers

The Shakers, a later offshoot from the Quakers Shakers were so called because of the trembling

induced by religious emotion during worship Methodists Moravians had a significant effect upon music in America



Moravians: Background Moravians arrived in 1735 together with Methodist

missionaries and hymn writers John and Charles Wesley

Moravians Were persecuted in their homelands of Moravia and

Bohemia Desired to serve as Christian missionaries to African and

Native Americans Settled first in Georgia, then moved north to Bethlehem,

Pennsylvania, as well as Salem (Winston-Salem), North Carolina and other areas in the East



Moravian Music Music had been important to the Moravians in

Europe

Moravians Composed and performed beautiful music in America Integrated hymns and other religious music into daily life Wrote both sacred and secular music

Songs and instrumental music The music was sophisticated and complex beyond the

music of other early Americans Moravian music revealed their strong German and Czech

heritage



Moravian Music: John Antes (1740-1811) Antes

The first important American-born Moravian composer Composed anthems, which are

Religious songs Longer and more complex than hymns Intended to be sung by a trained soloist or choir Anthem text is often biblical, nonmetric, and nonrhyming The form is usually through-composed, which means

There is little or no repetition of melodic phrases The text unfolds to new music throughout the piece

Several of Antes’ athems are still sung today



Listening Example 12Surely He Has Borne Our GriefsComposed by John AntesPerformed by string ensemble and choirListening Guide page 56

Form: Through-composed

Meter: Quadruple

Harmony: Key of C minor (based upon C minor scale, with C as tonic)

Hear the rubato at relaxed phrase endings. Rubato is the term for this expressive “robbing from” and “returning to” within some pieces.

Text:Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He waswounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.The chastisement of ourpeace lay upon Him: And with His stripes we are Healed.



Other Protestant Music:The Great Awakening began in 1735 The Great Awakening was a series of religious revival

movements along the eastern seaboard Started in New England cities

Many Puritans perceived a lessening of moral rectitude and an increase in intellectual interests

People on farms had a hard life on difficult land; abandoned religious customs of parish life

The Great Awakening spread from North to South, stirring religious fervor

Religious enthusiasm stimulated the rise of psalm singing and hymn singing



Early Efforts at Musical Reform Most colonials had no opportunity to hear or

practice good music Few people could read the notated tunes in editions of the

Bay Psalm Book printed after 1698 Old tunes were remembered differently in New England

towns and villages There was disagreement as to how to sing the tunes

Lining Out came to be used for congregational singing: A leader sang one line of a psalm, the congregation repeated, each line performed successively in this manner



The Singing School Movement: Background Lining out caused problems

Leaders were not musically trained themselves They often had unattractive voices Often sang songs in uncomfortable voice ranges Embellished and distorted tunes

Better educated ministers printed collections of tunes with instructions in reading music notation

Amateur teachers often attempted simpler methods to teach music notation These amateurs replaced the teaching ministers and became

known as singing school masters



The Singing School Movement and the Singing School Masters Singing school masters were former shopkeepers,

merchants, farmers or tradesmen Became itinerant teachers Traveled from town to town Held singing schools in the local meetinghouse, church or

school until the congregation learned to read music

Singing schools were popular social events in addition to their educational purposes People attended singing school several times per week A final performance demonstrated students’ accomplishments The singing school master then traveled to teach elsewhere



The Spread of the Singing School Movement 1720: The Singing School Movement began in Boston

1760-1800: The movement spread into Canada, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the Carolinas

Into the 1800s: Singing school masters offered instruction and inspiration especially in rural and remote areas

Pedagogy: Singing school masters devised their own teaching materials

Compiled collections of familiar psalm tunes and other religious songs, often with written instruction about syllables to sing and elements of music

Composed their own tunes



The First New England School of Composers A “school” of artists generally includes people

Living at the same time Living in the same geographic region Sharing certain artistic goals and similarities of style

The singing school masters were the First New England School of Composers, who were The first Americans to write music with an American sound

Their simple folklike songs had religious texts The tunes were suitable for congregational and home singing

Shared the goals of teaching people to read music and sing Music they composed did not conform to anyone’s rules



The First New England School of Composers: William Billings Billings (1746-1800) became famous as a singing school master and

composer

The first American to produce a book of tunes all of his own, the New England Psalm Singer was produced by Billings in 1770

Ineffective copyright laws back then; he made meager profits

Billings considered “nature” as the best music teacher Judged musical quality according to personal taste

Ignored conventional rules of music composition He and others of the First New England School made

unorthodox musical decisions to please their own ears Considered in his era as eccentric but extremely talented



Listening Example 13ChesterBy William BillingsListening guide page 60

Form: StrophicMeter: Quadruple; march tempoMelody: Lies within a one octave rangeTexture: Homophonic; melody in tenor voiceTimbre: A cappella four-part singing

“Chester” (1770): The principal marching song of New England troops during the Revolutionary War; the first American popular song

Let tyrants shake their iron rod, And Slav’ry clank her galling chains.We Fear them not, we trust in God.New England’s God forever reigns.

The foe comes on with haughty stride,Our troops advance with martial noise,Their vet’runs flee before our youth,And Generals yield to beardless boys.

What grateful off’ring shall we bring,What shall we render to the Lord?Loud Hallelujahs let us SingAnd praise his name on ev’ry Chord.



The First New England School of Composers: Performance Practices The listening example “Chester” is a cappella on our CD

But instruments might have doubled the voice parts

Belief that church music must enhance—never detract from—worship caused prejudice against instrumental accompaniment of church music Instruments were sensuous and could not express text Prejudice lessened at the time of the First New England School

Organ, string, or wind accompaniments began to be used Violin, the “devil’s fiddle” associated with dancing, slowly

gained acceptance; bass viol, flute, clarinet, bassoon were used



The First New England School of Composers: Canons Canon: A melody that forms meaningful harmonies when

performed with “staggered entrances” Successive voices begin the same melody at later times Each voice continues to the end of the tune, dropping out at the

end while remaining voices continue until they drop out in turn “Voice”—A line of music, whether sung or played by musical

instruments Each line is actually the same melody; a canon is polyphonic

Circular Canon: A round, which continues to make harmonic sense when repeated any number of times



Listening Example 14When Jesus WeptBy William BillingsListening guide page 62

Form: four-part circular canon or roundTexture: Monophonic when the melody is performed in unison;

polyphonic when performed in canonMeter: TripleTimbre: May be performed by four women’s voices, four men’s

voices, or by a mixed chorus of soprano, alto, tenor, and bass

When Jesus wept, the falling tearIn mercy flow’d beyond all bound;When Jesus groan’d, a trembling fearSeiz’d all the guilty world around.

This is one of Billings’ best-knownand best-loved songs



The First New England School of Composers: Fuging Tunes Fuging tune: A new popular kind of song, late eighteenth century

Form: Two sections, A and B: A is homophonic : Melody in one voice (usually tenor); other

voices (soprano, alto and bass) supply chordal harmony B is polyphonic, begins with staggered entrances, gives

each voice melodic interest B is repeated Four similar but independent lines of music, which end

together on a chord

By 1800 about 1,000 fuging tunes had been written Fuging tunes offered interest, variety, challenge, and fun!

A B B



Listening Example 15SherburneBy Daniel ReadListening guide page 63

Texture: The first section (A) is homophonic, consisting of the first two lines of text; the second section (B) is repeated and has staggered entrances, each melodic line imitative of, but not identical to, the others

While shepherds watched their flocks by nightAll seated on the groundThe angel of the Lord came down,And glory shone around.

The words are from a famous hymnWritten in 1700 by Nahum Tate

Daniel Read was the most popularcomposer of fuging tunes



Impact of Singing School Masters upon American Culture Besides Billings and Read, many singing school masters

composed for their pupils Psalm tunes Hymns Canons Fuging tunes

They considered their music as teaching material Today we value it as strong, beautiful, and genuinely American Recent American composers have used the tunes of the First

New England School of Composers and their contemporaries as inspiration and source material for current music



Chapter 3 Image Credit: Slide 7: Pilgrams Going to Church, painted

by George H. Boughton. © COREL Slide 19: An example of Fraktur.

© Philadelphia Museum of Art/ Corbis

Documents

Part 1: Music in Early North America Chapter 3: Religious Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods America’s Musical Landscape 5th edition