Research Question: What was sung in Geneva under Calvin? Misconceptions and sources

[Jake]

Hello PB,

I, Brendan Chatterton, am a senior undergraduate student of music at Covenant College who has been studying the musical inclinations of John Calvin and 16th century Geneva for the past year. The topic of my senior integration paper, which is written to fulfill the degree requirements, was inspired by a PB thread entitled "Was Calvin Psalms Only?" because there seemed to be a lot of uncertainty on the floor. The first draft under way, I come to you looking for help and to be helpful.

Firstly, you're welcome to send related questions my way on this thread or you can PM Jake, the author of this post, if you would like my e-mail address.

Next, I ask if you would direct me toward resources that exemplify my research problem, which is confusion on the point of what was sung in the Geneva church. From the aforementioned thread I picked up on Iain Murray and subsequently Louis Benson by following the footnote trail. Now, are there any works you've read which appear conjectural or ambiguous as to what was sung in the Geneva church under Calvin's oversight? any leads? These types of statements might include suggestions that the Apostle's Creed was sung in worship or other text settings of merely human composition.

Lastly, I invite you to check out the beginnings of the rough draft and inquire of me concerning it (NB: some of the footnotes are for personal reference). Contact Jake via PM and he can give you a PDF and my e-mail address.

Thanks to my roommate Jake for posting this and hi Raymond if pick up on this.

 

[Afterthought]

Oh hi, Brendan! It might have been easier to make an account, but anyway.... I can't help much on this, but for clarification, what do you mean by works that appear "conjectural or ambiguous"? Do you mean that the authors of the works are ambiguous or conjectural about what was sung, that the authors of the works conclude that what was sung was a matter of conjecture or ambiguity, or that the authors of the works argue for one song or another being sung?

If the first, I seem to recall Hughes Oliphant Old in his "Worship: Reformed according to Scripture" coming to a somewhat ambiguous conclusion, though with basically no references in the edition I have. If the second, I have nothing in mind. If the last, "Luther and Calvin on Music and Worship" has a few footnotes you can follow, but my guess is you have already looked at those footnoted works. There is also David Hay Fleming's work on the matter, but since he was mentioned in that thread, you have probably followed up on that too. So overall, I can't give much help on the matter. Hopefully someone else will be able to.

 

[irresistible_grace]

Douglas Bond in his Historical Fiction Betrayal, about John Calvin, would have the reader believe that Calvin wrote a hymn for corporate worship only to back track & say that it could have just been something he was translating or that it might not have been for worship etc.

I have had more that one Pastor introduce the hymn that Calvin is believed to have authored saying, "John Calvin himself wrote this next hymn" as if it was license to sing songs other than the "Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs" that are contained in Scripture during corporate worship.

I am not 100% sure what you are looking for but I hope you find it!