1 of 52

America’s Musical Landscape�8th edition

Part 1:

Music in Early North America

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

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

3-1

2 of 52

Religious Music in the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Federal Periods

As early as the 16th century, inhabitants of the New World were exposed to a variety of native and imported musical styles

Included Roman Catholic Music

French and Spanish visitors accompanied their worship with music
The missionaries taught the music to Indians in Florida and in the Southwest as part of the conversion process to Roman Catholicism

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

3-2

3 of 52

Music at the Spanish Missions

From 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 in musical nativity plays called Las Posadas (The Lodgings), about the struggles of Mary in finding a place to deliver the baby Jesus, at Christmas

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

3-3

4 of 52

Spanish missions, 1

Remained active in California

Catholic church music was regularly performed thereby missionaries and Native Americans

However, the Mexican government ordered missions closed in 1833

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

3-4

5 of 52

Spanish missions, 2

Musical instruments and 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

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

3-5

6 of 52

The Protestant Influence

The Protestant custom of singing psalms and hymns dominated religious music 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

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

3-6

7 of 52

Psalm Tunes: Martin Luther and the Protestant 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: simple folklike tunes, easy to sing

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

3-7

8 of 52

Psalm Tunes: The Pilgrims and Puritans, 1

Pilgrims and Puritans in New England in the early seventeenth century were Protestants

The protestations against Roman Catholicism included religious music

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

3-8

9 of 52

Psalm Tunes: The Pilgrims and Puritans, 2

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, featured texts not necessarily based on Biblical passages or from church liturgy

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

3-9

10 of 52

Psalm tunes and the Calvinists, 1

Calvinists re-translated the psalms into verses

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

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

3-10

11 of 52

Psalm tunes and the Calvinists, 2

Calvinists believed the only purpose for music in a church service was to enhance expression of a religious text, not to stir emotions or 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

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

3-11

12 of 52

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, typical of folk song performance

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

3-12

13 of 52

Psalm tunes and psalters, 1

Psalter: a book containing the metered and rhymed psalm verses, for use in congregational singing

Some psalters contained notated melodies
Others had no music, only the words, which could be sung to familiar tunes

1539: the first collection of psalm tunes was printed in Switzerland

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

3-13

14 of 52

Psalm tunes and Psalters, 2

Protestants sang hymns in their vernacular, or common, language

Most settlers didn’t bring musical instruments with them from England, but carried psalters

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

3-14

15 of 52

Psalm tunes and Psalters, 3

In 1640, the Bay Psalm Book was the first book printed in the New World

Originally titled The Whole Book of Psalms Faithfully Translated into English Metre
No tunes were included in the first edition; subsequent editions included music

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

3-15

16 of 52

Listening Example 11

Old Hundred (excerpt)

By Louis Bourgeois

(c. 1510-c. 1560)

Performers: Gregg Smith Singers

Listening guide page 47

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 Blessings

Flow,” this setting of

Psalm 100 is the most

famous psalm tune of all

A four-part choir sings

a cappella in this example

with soprano melody

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

3-16

17 of 52

Other Protestant Music

John Calvin banned all music but sung (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 written by Martin Luther

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

3-17

18 of 52

Listening Example 12

‘Tis the Gift to be Simple

Composed by Joseph Brackett, Jr.

Performed by string ensemble and choir

Listening Guide page 49

Form: Through composed
Meter: Duple
Melody: In a major key, moves mostly stepwise with few leaps
Composed originally as a dance tune, the last two lines instruct the dancers as part of their worship expression

This well-known tune has both sacred and secular associations. Sung at two Presidential inaugurations, it has been the inspiration for numerous composers of film scores and concert music.

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

3-18

19 of 52

Other Protestant Music: German-Speaking Protestant Sects, 1

Included

Mennonites
Moravians

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

3-19

20 of 52

Other Protestant Music: German-Speaking Protestant Sects, 2

Responding to William Penn’s policy of religious tolerance, 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

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

3-20

21 of 52

Other Protestant Music: Mennonites

1683: Mennonites arrived in the U S, mostly from Germany

Background

Refused on religious grounds to perform military service
Rejected a state church, resulting in European persecution

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

3-21

22 of 52

Mennonite Music, 1

Mennonites had their own hymnals and psalters, some with notated music for hymns and psalms

However, the old hymn tunes were preserved by oral tradition

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

3-22

23 of 52

Mennonite Music, 2

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�calligraphy and script, including�flowers, figures, and geometric designs

Example of Fraktur

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

3-23

24 of 52

Other Protestant Music:�Moravians and others

The late seventeenth century and early eighteenth century

Waves of emigrant Protestants came to America

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

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

3-24

25 of 52

Moravians: Background, 1

Moravians arrived in 1735 together with Methodist missionaries and hymn writers John and Charles Wesley

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

3-25

26 of 52

Moravians: Background, 2

Moravians

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

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

3-26

27 of 52

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
Sophisticated and complex beyond the music of other early Americans
Moravian music evidenced strong German and Czech heritage

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

3-27

28 of 52

Other Protestant Music:�The Great Awakening, 1

The Great Awakening, beginning in 1735, 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

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

3-28

29 of 52

Other Protestant Music:�The Great Awakening, 2

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

Religious enthusiasm stimulated the rise of psalm singing and hymn singing

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

3-29

30 of 52

Early Efforts at Musical Reform, 1

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

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

3-30

31 of 52

Early Efforts at Musical Reform, 2

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

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

3-31

32 of 52

The Singing School Movement: Background, 1

Lining out caused problems

Leaders often lacked musical training

Many had unattractive voices
Often sang songs in uncomfortable voice ranges
Embellished and distorted tunes

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

3-32

33 of 52

The Singing School Movement: Background, 2

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

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

3-33

34 of 52

The Singing School Movement and the Singing School Masters, 1

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

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

3-34

35 of 52

The Singing School Movement and the Singing School Masters, 2

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

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

3-35

36 of 52

The Spread of the Singing School Movement, 1

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

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

3-36

37 of 52

The Spread of the Singing School Movement, 2

Pedagogy:

Singing school masters devised their own teaching materials

Compiled collections of familiar psalm tunes and other religious songs, often with written instruction about singing syllables and other musical elements
Composed their own tunes

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

3-37

38 of 52

The First New England School of Composers, 1

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

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

3-38

39 of 52

The First New England School of Composers, 2

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

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

3-39

40 of 52

The First New England School of Composers: William Billings, 1

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 (1770)

Ineffective copyright laws resulted in meager profits

Billings considered “nature” to be the best music teacher

Judged musical quality according to personal taste

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

3-40

41 of 52

The First New England School of Composers: William Billings, 2

Ignored conventional rules of music composition

He and other First New England School composers made unorthodox musical decisions to please their own ears
In his era, he was considered eccentric but extremely talented

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

3-41

42 of 52

Listening Example 13

Chester

By William Billings

Listening guide page 54

Form: Strophic
Meter: Quadruple; march tempo
Melody: Lies within a one octave range
Texture: Homophonic; melody in tenor voice
Timbre: 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 Sing

And praise his name on ev’ry Chord.

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

3-42

43 of 52

The First New England School of Composers: Performance Practices, 1

The listening example “Chester” is a cappella

However, instruments might have doubled the voice parts

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

3-43

44 of 52

The First New England School of Composers: Performance Practices, 2

Belief that church music must enhance—never detract from—worship caused prejudice against instrumental accompaniment for 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 was called the “devil’s fiddle” and associated with dancing, but slowly gained acceptance
bass viol, flute, clarinet, bassoon were used

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

3-44

45 of 52

The First New England School of Composers: Canons, 1

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

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

3-45

46 of 52

The First New England School of Composers: Canons, 2

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

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

3-46

47 of 52

Listening Example 14

When Jesus Wept

By William Billings

Listening guide page 56

Form: four-part circular canon or round
Texture: Monophonic when the�melody is performed in unison;�polyphonic when performed in canon
Meter: Triple
Timbre: 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 tear

In mercy flow’d beyond all bound;

When Jesus groan’d, a trembling fear

Seiz’d all the guilty world around.

This is one of Billings’ best-known

and best-loved songs

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

3-47

48 of 52

The First New England School of Composers: Fuging Tunes, 1

Fuging tune: a new popular kind of song, late eighteenth century

Form: two sections, A and B:

A B 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

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

3-48

49 of 52

The First New England School of Composers: Fuging Tunes, 2

By 1800, about 1,000 fuging tunes had been written

Fuging tunes provided interest, variety, challenge, and fun for musicians

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

3-49

50 of 52

Listening Example 15

Sherburne

By Daniel Read

Listening guide page 57

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 night

All seated on the ground

The angel of the Lord came down,

And glory shone around.

The words are from a famous hymn

Written in 1700 by Nahum Tate

Daniel Read was the most popular

composer of fuging tunes

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

3-50

51 of 52

Impact of Singing School Masters upon American Culture, 1

Besides Billings and Read, many singing school masters composed for their pupils

Psalm tunes
Hymns
Canons
Fuging tunes

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

3-51

52 of 52

Impact of Singing School Masters upon American Culture, 2

They considered their music to be teaching material

Valued today as strong, beautiful, genuinely American music
More recent American composers have used the tunes of the First New England School of Composers and their contemporaries as inspiration and source material for new music

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

3-52