| Contents |
I. The sixteenth century. A brief comment about church music / Desiderius Erasmus -- Preface to Georg Rhau's Symphoniae iucundae / Martin Luther -- Letter to King Henry VIII / Thomas Cranmer -- Royal injuction to Lincoln Minster -- Rules for sacred music by the Council of Trent -- Extract from A Plaine and Easie Introduction to Practicall Musicke / Thomas Morley -- II. The seventeenth century. "Orders for the attendance of the gentlemen of his Majestes Chappell" from The Old Cheque-Book of the Chapel Royal -- The coronation service of Charles I, from The Old Cheque-Book -- Preface to Psalter (1633 edition) / Thomas Ravenscroft -- Preface to the Bay Psalm Book -- A Short Direction for the Performance of Cathedrall Service (extract) / Edward Lowe -- Orders to the Chapel Royal, from The Old Cheque-Book -- Decree on sacred music by the Sacra Visita Apostolica (1665) -- Extracts from Musick's Monument / Thomas Mace -- III. The eighteenth century. Introduction to The Grounds and Rules of Musick Explained / Thomas Walter -- "Ecclesiasticall Musick," from The Musicall Grammarian / Roger North -- "Short but most necessary draft for a well-appointed Church music" / Johann Sebastian Bach -- Encyclical letter of Pope Benedict XIV -- Dedication from A Morning and Evening Service / John Alcock -- Dedication to Urania / James Lyon -- "Rules necessary to be observed by all Cathedral-singers in this kingdom" / William Hayes -- Letter, November 1-3, 1777 / Leopold Mozart -- Letter, November 4, 1777 / Wolfgang Mozart -- Venice, The Sistine Chapel, Vienna / Charles Burney -- "The service of God," from Religion Productive of Music / John Mellen -- Preface to Cathedral Music / Samuel Arnold -- "Of the use and abuse of church music" / Richard Eastcott -- "A commentary ... by way of dialogue" from The Continental Harmony / William Billings -- IV. The nineteenth century. Some letters about the Missa Solemnis / Ludwig van Beethoven -- Extracts from the travel diaries / Vincent Novello -- A letter about sacred music / Felix Mendelssohn -- Some remarks to the American Musical Convention, 1845 / Thomas Hastings -- Some remarks to the American Musical Convention, 1845 / Raymond Seely -- Extract from A Few Words on Cathedral Music / Samuel Sebastian Wesley -- Letter from Berlin, 1852, about the cathedral choir / Lowell Mason -- The general directions of November 18, 1856, concerning appropriate church music -- A brief defense of English church music / F.A.G. Ouseley -- Women and boys in church choirs / R.B. Daniel -- "Music in cathedral and church choirs" / Charles Villiers Stanford -- V. The twentieth century. Motu Proprio of Pope Pius X on sacred music -- Extract from "A survey of music in America" / O.G.T. Sonneck -- "Individualism" / Archibald T. Davison -- "Church music," 22 July 1922 / H.C. Colles -- Excerpt from "Church choir: friend or foe?" / James F. White -- "Winds of change" / Howard D. McKinney -- "Invitation to arson" / Frank Cunkle -- The Light in the Wilderness, program notes / Dave Brubeck -- "Threnody for sacred music, 1968 or, the people of God have been had" / Ralph Thibodeau -- "God on stage" / Stephen Koch. |
| Abstract |
The place of music in worship has varied widely throughout the centuries. In the last two decades, music for the church has undergone drastic changes in style, in function, and in the attitudes of the people who perform it and listen to it. Understanding these changes is easier if we know the viewpoints of the past. This book will help the reader do just that. In a representative selection of letters, essays, sermons, memoirs, dedications, prefaces, and other documents taken from the writings of musicians, critics, historians, clergymen, and the lay public, this anthology reflects a wide range of reactions to the musical scene as it touches upon the church. |
