The Church and the Development of Music

Although music has no doubt been an important part of life for many cultures since antiquity, it was in the hands of the Western Christian Church that music underwent important developments that were to send it on a series of courses leading ultimately to classical forms and then on to influence today's myriad musical styles. An example of early religious music is unaccompanied plainsong, which under its alternative name of Gregorian Chant has made something of a comeback in recent times. While very different in sound from music as we know it today, it obeys early rules of form which were later to develop into important musical concepts.

A number of significant factors contributed to the church's being the natural incubator nurturing music in this way. Firstly the early church was in several ways like the universities of today, educating its members in many subjects, fostering further research and documenting findings, retaining libraries of its knowledge to pass on to future generations. Secondly music (perhaps because of its ability to heighten emotional experience - see What is Music?) has always been an integral part of the process of worship, and much energy was dedicated to this pursuit and developing those musical skills in order to perfect that means of worship. These two factors combined not simply to pass on existing musical traditions, but to further develop them in various directions.

It was in the hands of the church that musical notation was invented and then refined. Prior to this music was learned by example, and other than deductions which can be made from pictures and engravings of musicians on the one hand, and descriptions recorded in literature on the other, we know very little about how music really sounded before the invention of music notation.

Pivotal Composers in the history of the church :

One reasonably well-documented case of an early composer flourishing in a religious setting was Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) who became a nun attached to a monastery in Germany and later founded her own convent. Well educated, well-read and intelligent, she engaged the greatest thinkers and most influential people of the day in all manner of correspondence on a wide range of topics. On the creative side, she wrote poetry and set this and liturgical texts to music, writing hymns and religious songs. Since her music was recorded and preserved by the order, it represents some of the earliest known examples of such music.

Over the course of many years music was evolved in this environment, different forms were developed, the concept of harmony evolved from simple rules of accompaniment based on intervals, and melodies were combined in different ways to form polyphony. At the time of the reformation, the church underwent substantial change and this had knock on effects on the use of music. Two composers closely involved in such developments in England were Thomas Tallis and William Byrd. The pace of development continued right up to the Baroque and Classical periods, where even still important composers were frequently still employed by the church such as Vivaldi and Bach. It was not until the time of Beethoven that composers were relatively independent artists but traditions continue, and even Beethoven and later composers have composed Masses and Requiems. Many other classical composers have contributed to the repertoire of hymn tunes used in church including Mendelssohn, Sullivan and Gounod to name a few.

Church music today and Hymns :

As for today, the christian and other churches use a wide variety of music in their services and rituals. The central musical form in this context is the hymn, a simple religious poem set to music and often very similar to popular song forms consisting of four lines of verse followed by four lines of chorus, repeated. We include just a few examples of this form by classical and other composers:

• Amazing Grace by William Walker
• Bringing in the Sheaves by George Minor
• Rock of Ages by Thomas Hastings
• Shall We Gather at the River by Robert Lowry
• Onward Christian Soldiers by Arthur Sullivan
• Tallis' Canon by Thomas Tallis
• Third Mode Melody by Thomas Tallis

Then we have occasional music for events and special occasions such as Weddings and Funerals. Here are the most popular choices, but a wider selection is available from our Wedding Music and Funeral Music pages.

• Wedding March by Felix Mendelssohn
• Bridal Chorus by Richard Wagner
• Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel
• Gymnopedie No. 1 by Satie

And of course we mustn't forget the particular occasion of Christmas which has its own special kind of Hymns called Carols, some of which are very well-known due to their frequent playing during the month of December. Additional suggestions for Christmas music is available from our Christmas Music page.

• It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Traditional
• Once in Royal David's City - Henry J. Gauntlett
• While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night - Traditional
• What Child is this? (tune of Greensleeves) - Traditional
• Oh Little Town of Bethlehem - Traditional
• Joy to the World by Lowell Mason
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing by Felix Mendelssohn
• Silent Night by Franz Gruber
• Away in a Manger by W. J. Kirkpatrick
• The First Nowell - Traditional
• Good Christian Men Rejoice - Traditional
• The Holly and the Ivy - Traditional
• Deck the Halls (with Boughs of Holly) - Traditional
• God rest you Merry Gentlemen - Traditional
• A Coventry Carol - Traditional
• The Huron Carol - Traditional
• Cradled in a Manger Meanly - S J P Duncan

At mfiles you will find these pieces as printable Sheet Music, as MIDI files or MP3 files in the appropriate section.

For stores with large collections of Christian Music, look at Sheet Music Plus or Music Notes.