If worship transforms us into kinder, more loving people, then why do we fight over worship? Paul Basden
In the early 14th century, Pope Clement the V wrote that "many ministers of the Church,” in addition to neglecting their prayers in favor of sports like falconry and fox hunting, "do not fear to dance licentiously in the church cemeteries, and at times sing silly songs." To correct what was becoming an accepted practice, he decreed that the liturgy should be "devoutly chanted" in all Cathedrals and churches. Once again what was sang and how it was sung was mandated. The singing moved away from hymns and songs to ‘devout chants.’
John Wycliffe (1328-1384) was interested in the common person being able to understand and participate in every part of what was happening in the church world. His life ambition was to provide the Scriptures so that the common person could understand them and apply them. Regarding the singing or chanting that was common in the church, Wycliffe complained: “No one can hear the words, and all the others are dumb and watch them like fools.” The singing had again moved back to chanting by professionals. The average person was a spectator and not a participant. The sound had taken over the message. Instead of God as the ‘Audience of One,’ the congregation had become the audience.
At the Council of Trent (1545-1563), church leaders met to address the problem of the difficult and extremely varied music that was being sung throughout the church world. At the Council of Trent the first official manual giving basic instruction in music and singing was formulated. It was decided that the music for worship must be within reasonable scope. The complexity of the music had to be at a level that did not keep the congregation from participating. The emphasis was moving back towards the participation of the congregation.
Martin Luther composed a number of hymns in the 16th century. Many of the hymns he wrote borrowed their melodies from popular tavern drinking songs of that period. As a young student, Luther earned money to pay his school fees by singing in the streets of Eisenach. Luther played the lute and sang. Music and singing was an important part of his life.
One of the three main tenants of Martin Luther’s Reformation was the restoration of congregational singing. The Reformation Movement defied the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church that only ‘professionals’ were allowed to sing worship songs in public.
The controversy around music continued! Stay tuned for Part 5.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Music, Instruments, Worship and Singing – How about this history? Part 3
If worship transforms us into kinder, more loving people, then why do we fight over worship? Paul Basden
Until the AD 300s almost all church music consisted of psalms chanted. A ‘cantor’ or leader would sing or chant a line and then the congregation would repeat the line. From Solomon’s Temple in 950 BC to the cathedrals of the 1300s music was handled by trained ‘professionals.’ The average person could only participate in the music and singing part of worship service by responding to the cantor. One of the dilemmas birthed in this practice was that the importance was put on the sound and the tone of the music and not on the message or on the involvement of everyone in worship.
In the 4th century, St. Augustine complained that sometimes music in church seems "directed to the sound rather than the sense" of the faith, in which case he "would prefer to hear no singing at all." Augustine was bothered that the music had become more about personal taste, likes and dislikes and quality then about the conveyance of truth. The ‘truth’ was there in the songs but it was buried under the highlighting of the cantor and the vocal gymnastics.
In the 9th Century Pope Leo IV discovered that the most important monastery in the region had quit singing the Gregorian Chants because the Abbot disliked the music. He sent orders to the Abbot: “We command under sentence of excommunication that, in the singing and readings in your churches, you carry them out in no other way than that which Pope St. Gregory handed down, and we hold that you cultivate and sing this tradition [Gregorian Chants] always.”
With the development of polyphonic singing (music in which two or more strands sound simultaneously), a new problem arose. Singers were improvising and singing their own songs during church services. They were no longer following the ‘handed down’ music. In the 12th century, the Bishop of Chartres complained that much singing in church is "full of ostentation." "Such is the facility of running up and down the scale," he wrote, "the ears lose their power of judging." He called on singers to return to tradition.
The controversy around music continued! Stay tuned for Part 4.
Until the AD 300s almost all church music consisted of psalms chanted. A ‘cantor’ or leader would sing or chant a line and then the congregation would repeat the line. From Solomon’s Temple in 950 BC to the cathedrals of the 1300s music was handled by trained ‘professionals.’ The average person could only participate in the music and singing part of worship service by responding to the cantor. One of the dilemmas birthed in this practice was that the importance was put on the sound and the tone of the music and not on the message or on the involvement of everyone in worship.
In the 4th century, St. Augustine complained that sometimes music in church seems "directed to the sound rather than the sense" of the faith, in which case he "would prefer to hear no singing at all." Augustine was bothered that the music had become more about personal taste, likes and dislikes and quality then about the conveyance of truth. The ‘truth’ was there in the songs but it was buried under the highlighting of the cantor and the vocal gymnastics.
In the 9th Century Pope Leo IV discovered that the most important monastery in the region had quit singing the Gregorian Chants because the Abbot disliked the music. He sent orders to the Abbot: “We command under sentence of excommunication that, in the singing and readings in your churches, you carry them out in no other way than that which Pope St. Gregory handed down, and we hold that you cultivate and sing this tradition [Gregorian Chants] always.”
With the development of polyphonic singing (music in which two or more strands sound simultaneously), a new problem arose. Singers were improvising and singing their own songs during church services. They were no longer following the ‘handed down’ music. In the 12th century, the Bishop of Chartres complained that much singing in church is "full of ostentation." "Such is the facility of running up and down the scale," he wrote, "the ears lose their power of judging." He called on singers to return to tradition.
The controversy around music continued! Stay tuned for Part 4.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Music, Instruments, Worship and Singing – How about this history? [Part 2]
If worship transforms us into kinder, more loving people, then why do we fight over worship? Paul Basden
The history surrounding music, instruments, singing and ‘worship’ in the church is very intriguing. There are many facets involved in the ever changing world of music, instruments, singing and worship. Some of the history is disappointing and disheartening. Some of the history is incredibly inspiring and challenging. It can never be said that the history of music, song, singing and ‘worship’ in the church has been boring.
The use of musical instruments also has a rich history. The first record of musical instruments is found in Genesis 4:21. “His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.” Musical instruments have an integral part of the worship of God’s people. Even a cursory reading of the book of Psalms reveals an assortment of instruments used in worship.
The history of instruments is not only rich but at times has been controversial. In 200 AD musical instruments were abandoned and banned in church settings. Church leaders felt that instrumentation distracted the mind from thoughts of God and turned the worshipper towards the ‘self.’ Other church leaders saw the use of musical instrument as “debauchery and immorality.” The stringed instrument called a ‘lyre’ was seen as ‘pagan’ and associated with prostitution.
For the next 500 years worship was 'a cappella.' 'A cappella' is an interesting term. It is Italian for ‘in the manner of the church’ or ‘in the manner of the chapel.’ The way of the church until the 8th century was to sing without musical instruments. Instruments were not used regularly by the church until the 8th century.
The controversy around music continued!
Stay tuned for Part 3.
The history surrounding music, instruments, singing and ‘worship’ in the church is very intriguing. There are many facets involved in the ever changing world of music, instruments, singing and worship. Some of the history is disappointing and disheartening. Some of the history is incredibly inspiring and challenging. It can never be said that the history of music, song, singing and ‘worship’ in the church has been boring.
The use of musical instruments also has a rich history. The first record of musical instruments is found in Genesis 4:21. “His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute.” Musical instruments have an integral part of the worship of God’s people. Even a cursory reading of the book of Psalms reveals an assortment of instruments used in worship.
The history of instruments is not only rich but at times has been controversial. In 200 AD musical instruments were abandoned and banned in church settings. Church leaders felt that instrumentation distracted the mind from thoughts of God and turned the worshipper towards the ‘self.’ Other church leaders saw the use of musical instrument as “debauchery and immorality.” The stringed instrument called a ‘lyre’ was seen as ‘pagan’ and associated with prostitution.
For the next 500 years worship was 'a cappella.' 'A cappella' is an interesting term. It is Italian for ‘in the manner of the church’ or ‘in the manner of the chapel.’ The way of the church until the 8th century was to sing without musical instruments. Instruments were not used regularly by the church until the 8th century.
The controversy around music continued!
Stay tuned for Part 3.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Music, Instruments, Worship and Singing – How about this history? [Part 1 of 10]
“If worship transforms us into kinder, more loving people, then why do we fight over worship?” Paul Basden
The history surrounding music, instruments, singing and ‘worship’ in the church is very intriguing. There are many facets involved in the ever changing world of music, instruments, singing and worship. Some of the history is disappointing and disheartening; some is incredibly inspiring and challenging. It can never be said that the history of music, song, singing and ‘worship’ in the church has been boring.
Over the last 200 years various segments of the church has sought out opportunities to sing Christian music in secular settings as a form of outreach. This has not always been the practice of the church.
The first documented case of controversy about worship or church music comes from the 1st century. Pope St. Clement discovered that in various regions church musicians were singing psalms from the Christian liturgy at pagan festivals. These psalms were being sung in public, non-sacred settings and most likely the singers were profiting from the music. The Pope found this practice scandalous and intervened, forbidding the practice. His fear was that Christian musicians would appear as "wandering minstrels, singing tellers of tales of high adventure, who perform their art for a mouthful of bread."
In the early centuries of the church, Christians sang together as a type of mass choir. The music or words were never written out, but simply transmitted audibly and orally. There were no hymnals, song sheets, overheads or PowerPoint. All the songs were memorized by the average person.
As the centuries progressed though, the lyrics of the songs began to be sung in Latin by a chosen few. The average person did not speak, read or understand Latin and therefore was unable to join in the singing and was relegated to being a spectator.
How’s that for a little spicy history on the discussion of various forms of worship?
Stay tuned for … more of the story.
Matt
The history surrounding music, instruments, singing and ‘worship’ in the church is very intriguing. There are many facets involved in the ever changing world of music, instruments, singing and worship. Some of the history is disappointing and disheartening; some is incredibly inspiring and challenging. It can never be said that the history of music, song, singing and ‘worship’ in the church has been boring.
Over the last 200 years various segments of the church has sought out opportunities to sing Christian music in secular settings as a form of outreach. This has not always been the practice of the church.
The first documented case of controversy about worship or church music comes from the 1st century. Pope St. Clement discovered that in various regions church musicians were singing psalms from the Christian liturgy at pagan festivals. These psalms were being sung in public, non-sacred settings and most likely the singers were profiting from the music. The Pope found this practice scandalous and intervened, forbidding the practice. His fear was that Christian musicians would appear as "wandering minstrels, singing tellers of tales of high adventure, who perform their art for a mouthful of bread."
In the early centuries of the church, Christians sang together as a type of mass choir. The music or words were never written out, but simply transmitted audibly and orally. There were no hymnals, song sheets, overheads or PowerPoint. All the songs were memorized by the average person.
As the centuries progressed though, the lyrics of the songs began to be sung in Latin by a chosen few. The average person did not speak, read or understand Latin and therefore was unable to join in the singing and was relegated to being a spectator.
How’s that for a little spicy history on the discussion of various forms of worship?
Stay tuned for … more of the story.
Matt
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