Music and the Counter-Reformation. The early decades of the 16th century were fateful ones for the Roman Catholic Church. With the threat of Lutheranism in and , the success of Calvinism in , and the formation of in independent Church of England with King Henry VIII as its head, Catholic officials realized that a reform of their church was timely and necessary.
After much delay, the council which aimed at a “cleansing” of the Catholic Church finally met in December, 1545, at , an imperial city beyond the Italian frontier in the . Among the many reforms which resulted from the decrees of the Council of Trent were concerned with the use of music in worship. Although discussions on church music made up only a small portion of the work of the Council of Trent, the fact that it dealt with music at all demonstrates its importance in church life. Another problem addressed by the Council of Trent was the inappropriate manner in which some of the cathedral Canons chanted the Divine Office. Patrick May December 6, 2010. Music and the Counter Reformation. The Council of Trent To respond to the influence of Protestantism with its emphasis on unmediated, individual devotion, the Roman Catholic curia convened the many sessions which together are known as the Council of Trent.
In the context of reforming the liturgy, the church laid down precepts governing how music should be conceived and set. While reflecting the views of St. Augustine who felt that the beautiful sound of music could overwhelm contemplation of the meaning of the text, the reforms were also influenced by the humanist perspective on the power inherent in text.
Bishop Cirillo Franco in a letter of 1549 stated the problems of the old style: I should like, in short, when a Mass is to be sung in church, that its music be framed according to the fundamental subject of the words, in harmonies and rhythms apt to move our affections to religion and piety, and likewise in Psalms, Hymns, and other praises that are offered to God..... Index. Music :: Fundamentally Reformed. Overview of the Issue With many fundamentalists, music is a topic for heated discussion. A majority of fundamentalists teach against the use of contemporary orchestration in church. I’m not talking keyboards and violins, I mean guitars and drums. Such music is worldly, even Satanic. Classical music styles are preferred, and everything from Southern Gospel to Rap, Jazz and Country is frowned upon.
Various Scriptural arguments are raised, but generally the argument comes down to such music being “of the world”. I don’t want to downplay this issue. My Blog Posts on the Topic One can view all my posts on the topic by clicking this link, but the major posts, where I hash out the details of this debate are listed below. The Music Debate Are certain forms of modern music unacceptable for Bible believing Christians to enjoy or employ in corporate worship? Music Recommendations Many fundamentalists are simply unaware of how good many modern praise songs really are. Reformation Music. Music of the Reformation Era Sacred Music in the Middle Ages and Renaissance Divine Offices The (Ordinary) Mass: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei Motets (polyphonic composition on a sacred Latin text) Hymns and other compositions Sanctus from Missa cum jubilo (12th century) Voices of Ascension #10 Sanctus from Missa prolationem by Heinrich Isaac (1450-1517) Voices of Ascension #4 Credo from Missa arme sexti toni by Josquin des Pres (1450-1521) Josquin #9 Gloria from Western Wind Mass by John Taverner (1490-1545), John Terverner #1 and 2 Links Renaissance Music Links Medieval Music (The Internet Public Library) Renaissance Music (The Internet Public Library) Gregorian Chant (Catholic Encyclopedia) Music of the Mass (Catholic Encyclopedia) Liturgy of the Mass (Catholic Encyclopedia) Latin Mass in translation ( Rick Kephart) Sacred Music of the Reformation Protestant Reformation Catholic Reformation Return to the History Department.
What Effects Did the Reformation Have on Church Music? The Protestant Reformation in Europe, primarily in Germany, has been one of the most influential events on Western culture in the history of the World. Its impact has been felt in almost every single aspect of life, from literature to day-to-day practices. Even today, much of what happened during the Protestant Reformation has a direct link to many aspects of today's Western Culture. One of these impacts that many do not consider is the impact that it had on music in the Church, and music in general. Music in the Church was, as it still is, very important. When discussing the Protestant Reformation, most start with discussion of Martin Luther(1483-1546), and this is for a good reason.
While Christianity was in persecution, the Christian congregation was sure to sing there hymns and psalms of worship. Luther put a strong emphasis on the congregational song. Luther was very concerned with the content of the songs. Many song books were published after Luther's. Counter-Reformation. A copy of the Vulgate (the Latin edition of the Catholic Bible) printed in 1590, after many of the Council's reforms had begun to take place in Catholic worship.
The Counter-Reformation (also the Catholic Revival[1] or Catholic Reformation) was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War (1648), and was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort composed of four major elements: Ecclesiastical or structural reconfigurationReligious ordersSpiritual movementsPolitical dimensions Council of Trent[edit] A session of the Council of Trent, from an engraving. Pope Paul III (1534–1549) initiated the Council of Trent (1545–1563), a commission of cardinals tasked with institutional reform, addressing contentious issues such as corrupt bishops and priests, indulgences, and other financial abuses.
Religious orders[edit] Politics: The Netherlands[edit]