True, when people think of the great Christian composers they usually do not look to the Reformed Church.
They either will look to Catholic Palestrina, or Anglican Michael Byrd (who was in fact just another Catholic), and of course, to the very devout Lutheran Bach.
However, all people seem to think about the Reformed Church (other than harsh Calvinistic doctrine) is that if these people where anything, they were unmusical.
Whenever, in a World History Class, the Reformation is studied one thing is almost always made clear: Calvinist were opposed to art. We are taught that Calvinists believed art to be frivolous and offensive.
Yet as a devout Calvinist and musician, I could not just believe all that. Surely, my spiritual ancestors would not have so despised music. I went out to find all I could, and of course I found alot of the same thing I was taught in History. But slowly and surley I did come across some fact which contradicted what my World Civ. book said. Like the fact that Bunyan played the viol, flute, and virginals; not only that, but He mentions them in his The Pilgrim's Progress. While in jail for preaching he actually carved a flute out of one of the legs of a stool in his cell.
Oliver Cromwell, played bass viol and virginals, and loved to listen to the motets of the Catholic Composer of a few years earlier, Richard Deering.
Reformed and Puritan Churches did have simple music during services for two important reasons: so that everyone in the congreagtion could participate in worship, and so none were tempted to give men glory in the house of God.
And though Calvinists did seek to have simple music in the church, there was one place where could be hear more artful music: the private home services. One distinct practice amoung the Reformed Christians was private worship. This usually took place daily with the family and household all gathering together to sing, read scripture, and study the catechism. It was here that the beautiful fully harmonized and sometimes even polyphonic Psalms zealously resounded. For it was perfectly acceptable for a family (with all members trained in music as was the custom of the day) to sing and play together beuatiful and sometimes elaborate settings of the Psalms, canticles, and hymns.
The most wonderful of Reformed composers that I know of was Claude Goudimel (1505-1572). Goudimel was a French Huguenot who lived in the Calvinist community at Metz. He had converted to the Reformed faith in 1560. In 1567 he left Metz because of the growing persecution of Protestants there and moved to Lyons. However, his peace only lasted a short while. Sometime between August 28 and 31 of 1572 he was martyred in the St. Bartholomews Day massacre.
If you would click on the speaker icon by my name you can listen to his polyphonic setting of the 72nd Psalm from the Genevan Psalter.
The choir is Pro Musica, a Reformed Group from Southern Ontario. I would recommend their CDs to anyone. You can find them at http://www.spindleworks.com/store/promusica/promusica.htm
Here are the lyrics:
(I believe they are singing verses 1, 4, and 10.)
1. O God, give to the king Thy justice,
His son Thy righteousness.
Thou art the God in whom our trust is;
Thy hand alone can bless.
May he, the royal son, be reigning
With judg-ments true and sure,
To all Thy people right ordaining
And justice to Thy poor.
2. May for the people hill and mountain
Bring forth the peace they seek,
And justice, gushing like a fountain,
Restore the faint and meek.
May he defend the poor and needy,
May he their children save,
And crush oppressors, proud and greedy,
Who for their downfall crave.
3. May he, so high above the nations,
Live while the sun endures,
He, who throughout all generations
Our joy and peace ensures;
And may he be like rain that drenches
The meadows parched and pale,
Like showers whose abundance quenches
The thirst of hill and vale.
4. May in his days Thy justice flourish,
The earth with peace abound,
Thy righteousness the people nourish,
And evil not be found.
Long may he live, and rule our nation
While sun and moon endure;
May he in every generation
Their peace and joy ensure.
5. For evermore may his dominion
From sea to sea extend,
And from the River to the regions
Of earths remotest ends.
May every tribe and tongue adore him,
And may from east and west
His foes all come to bow before him,
His haters lick the dust.
6. May princes, moved by awe and wonder,
Then travel miles on miles,
That they may him the tribute render
Of Tarshish and the isles.
May Shebas king with gifts adore him,
And Seba treasures bring.
May rulers all fall down before him
And serve him as their king.
7. The helpless poor he will deliver
And hear them when they call,
For he, the great and gracious giver,
Has pity on them all.
He saves them from oppressors greedy
And hears their anguished cries;
The blood of all the poor and needy
Is precious in his eyes.
8. Long may he live, and may they render
Him Shebas choicest gold!
Long may his arm in light and splendour
Gods right and might uphold.
For him the prayers shall without ceasing
Ascend to heavens throne;
All day we shall, our songs increasing,
Praise him with joyful tone.
9. May in the land the grain be growing
From plain to mountain top,
Like Lebanon, with riches glowing
A rustling, bounteous crop.
May in the cities people flower
Like hill -sides in the spring;
May all the earth acclaim his power,
His glory's fulness sing.
10. The king, whose name we are professing,
Shall like the sun endure.
In him all nations find their blessing;
Make Thou his throne secure!
Blest be the LORD, for He so glorious
Alone does wondrous things.
O God, in all the earth our chorus
With "Amen, Amen" rings.
They either will look to Catholic Palestrina, or Anglican Michael Byrd (who was in fact just another Catholic), and of course, to the very devout Lutheran Bach.
However, all people seem to think about the Reformed Church (other than harsh Calvinistic doctrine) is that if these people where anything, they were unmusical.
Whenever, in a World History Class, the Reformation is studied one thing is almost always made clear: Calvinist were opposed to art. We are taught that Calvinists believed art to be frivolous and offensive.
Yet as a devout Calvinist and musician, I could not just believe all that. Surely, my spiritual ancestors would not have so despised music. I went out to find all I could, and of course I found alot of the same thing I was taught in History. But slowly and surley I did come across some fact which contradicted what my World Civ. book said. Like the fact that Bunyan played the viol, flute, and virginals; not only that, but He mentions them in his The Pilgrim's Progress. While in jail for preaching he actually carved a flute out of one of the legs of a stool in his cell.
Oliver Cromwell, played bass viol and virginals, and loved to listen to the motets of the Catholic Composer of a few years earlier, Richard Deering.
Reformed and Puritan Churches did have simple music during services for two important reasons: so that everyone in the congreagtion could participate in worship, and so none were tempted to give men glory in the house of God.
And though Calvinists did seek to have simple music in the church, there was one place where could be hear more artful music: the private home services. One distinct practice amoung the Reformed Christians was private worship. This usually took place daily with the family and household all gathering together to sing, read scripture, and study the catechism. It was here that the beautiful fully harmonized and sometimes even polyphonic Psalms zealously resounded. For it was perfectly acceptable for a family (with all members trained in music as was the custom of the day) to sing and play together beuatiful and sometimes elaborate settings of the Psalms, canticles, and hymns.
The most wonderful of Reformed composers that I know of was Claude Goudimel (1505-1572). Goudimel was a French Huguenot who lived in the Calvinist community at Metz. He had converted to the Reformed faith in 1560. In 1567 he left Metz because of the growing persecution of Protestants there and moved to Lyons. However, his peace only lasted a short while. Sometime between August 28 and 31 of 1572 he was martyred in the St. Bartholomews Day massacre.
If you would click on the speaker icon by my name you can listen to his polyphonic setting of the 72nd Psalm from the Genevan Psalter.
The choir is Pro Musica, a Reformed Group from Southern Ontario. I would recommend their CDs to anyone. You can find them at http://www.spindleworks.com/store/promusica/promusica.htm
Here are the lyrics:
(I believe they are singing verses 1, 4, and 10.)
1. O God, give to the king Thy justice,
His son Thy righteousness.
Thou art the God in whom our trust is;
Thy hand alone can bless.
May he, the royal son, be reigning
With judg-ments true and sure,
To all Thy people right ordaining
And justice to Thy poor.
2. May for the people hill and mountain
Bring forth the peace they seek,
And justice, gushing like a fountain,
Restore the faint and meek.
May he defend the poor and needy,
May he their children save,
And crush oppressors, proud and greedy,
Who for their downfall crave.
3. May he, so high above the nations,
Live while the sun endures,
He, who throughout all generations
Our joy and peace ensures;
And may he be like rain that drenches
The meadows parched and pale,
Like showers whose abundance quenches
The thirst of hill and vale.
4. May in his days Thy justice flourish,
The earth with peace abound,
Thy righteousness the people nourish,
And evil not be found.
Long may he live, and rule our nation
While sun and moon endure;
May he in every generation
Their peace and joy ensure.
5. For evermore may his dominion
From sea to sea extend,
And from the River to the regions
Of earths remotest ends.
May every tribe and tongue adore him,
And may from east and west
His foes all come to bow before him,
His haters lick the dust.
6. May princes, moved by awe and wonder,
Then travel miles on miles,
That they may him the tribute render
Of Tarshish and the isles.
May Shebas king with gifts adore him,
And Seba treasures bring.
May rulers all fall down before him
And serve him as their king.
7. The helpless poor he will deliver
And hear them when they call,
For he, the great and gracious giver,
Has pity on them all.
He saves them from oppressors greedy
And hears their anguished cries;
The blood of all the poor and needy
Is precious in his eyes.
8. Long may he live, and may they render
Him Shebas choicest gold!
Long may his arm in light and splendour
Gods right and might uphold.
For him the prayers shall without ceasing
Ascend to heavens throne;
All day we shall, our songs increasing,
Praise him with joyful tone.
9. May in the land the grain be growing
From plain to mountain top,
Like Lebanon, with riches glowing
A rustling, bounteous crop.
May in the cities people flower
Like hill -sides in the spring;
May all the earth acclaim his power,
His glory's fulness sing.
10. The king, whose name we are professing,
Shall like the sun endure.
In him all nations find their blessing;
Make Thou his throne secure!
Blest be the LORD, for He so glorious
Alone does wondrous things.
O God, in all the earth our chorus
With "Amen, Amen" rings.
