# Artistic category for reformation era Chruch music



## yeutter (Aug 27, 2009)

I did not know where to ask this, in the worship forum of the church history forum.
If we attempt to classify artistic styles of Church Music how do we classify the reformation era music.


Early plain song chant like the Ambrosian Chant was replaced by later plain song chant that was influenced by the Renaissance and evolved into Gregorian Chant
Early Lutheran hymns were put back into a form that was singable by the congregation. This Lutheran style seems to draw on the musical style of the popular secular Madrigal. I will grant you that Madrigals were historically normally unaccompanied, and Luthern Church music was accompanied but otherwise there tends to be a stylistic similarity. I would classify the Madrigal as standing in the artistic tradition called Mannerism.
The musical settings for the Geneva Psalter and the early Anglican Chant tunes for the Psalter found in the Book of Common Prayer seem to draw more on the plain song chant. Are the styles of music represented in these traditions a throw back to the Renaissance?
Most 17th Century Lutheran and Anglican Choral music seem to reflect a transition to the Baroque era.
Am I on target with my classifications?
How should we classify the early musical tunes used to sing the Scottish Psalter?


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## Edelfäule (Aug 29, 2009)

Can you give some modern examples of sacred music showing the roots of these styles? If you can, be as general as possible; I am not familiar with Lutheran or Anglican musical idioms.

Also: by the term 'Mannerism', do you mean the _ars subtilior_ style? If so, I would have to disagree; I've never known music for (Protestant) corporate worship to be so complex. More's the pity: it would be amusing to see Ives' Psalm settings added to the Psalter.


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## py3ak (Aug 29, 2009)

Is it not possible that it falls more into the realm of folk music? If so, the categorizations might not quite apply.


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## yeutter (Aug 31, 2009)

Edelfäule said:


> Can you give some modern examples of sacred music showing the roots of these styles? If you can, be as general as possible;


I was thinking of something like the irregular hymn tune Wacher Auf by Phillip Nicolai.
The English translation of this Advent hymn is:

Wake, awake, for the night is flying, The watchmen on 
the heights are crying, Awake Jerusalem, at last!
The bride groom comes, awake, Your lamps with gladness take, Alleluia!
And for His marriage feast prepare, for you must go to meet Him there.

-----Added 8/31/2009 at 07:03:47 EST-----



py3ak said:


> Is it not possible that it falls more into the realm of folk music? If so, the categorizations might not quite apply.


You are probably right. The ealy Lutheran Hymns may have had there roots in folk music. The similarity I see with the Madrigals, may be that they too have their roots in folk music.

The hymn tunes for the Geneva Psalter are similar to the tunes for used for Anglican chant used with the Psalter found in the Book of Common Prayer. Both of these seem to have their roots in plain song chants.


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