A Look Inside the Ways Anglican Music Relates to the Church Seasons

By: Elizabeth J. Stallings

Derived from the Hebrews

Most of the Old Testament of the Bible is derived from ancient Hebrew literature. Although it is thought to be that most Hebrew literature was sung instead of spoken when said aloud, it is unclear whether the Scriptures from the Bible are meant to be sung or spoken.

Psalms

The Psalms that are sung on a regular basis in the Anglican Church are also derived from both the Scriptures in the Old Testament of the Bible and the old Hebrew literatures. It was a Hebrew tradition to repeat these Psalms that were mainly written by King David. It was important for people to learn the Psalms because it brought them closer to God, and made them more aware of their traditions and their past.

The Construction of Psalms

Psalms are very repetitive and are often quite easy to memorize. Back in the time when Psalms were frequently sung, they were sung instead of being said so that the congregation or the people that happened to be listening had an easier time memorizing them because they could not read or write. So rather than having to learn to read and memorize they could just memorize a simple little tune to the scriptures that were considered a necessity to being spiritual and close to God.

Jesus and the Prophets

After some time Jesus and other Prophets came along. Such as Mohammad in Islam. But in Christianity it was only Jesus Christ. Although Prophets wanted to spread their word of God through song it was forbidden in the Temples so they mainly used instruments which later made the organ a huge part of the Anglican Church.

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The Roman Catholic Church

As Jesus spread the word of God and more and more people started to fallow him, the ways of Christianity were more and more like an an actual religion rather than a way of life.

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The Beginning of Music in the Roman Catholic Church

When the Roman Catholic Church started performing services, the services were spoken in total Latin, no other language was spoken. At first music was forbidden in the Catholic Church. But as the religion spread music that was written in Latin was allowed to be sung during services.

From Ancient Rome to the Middle Ages

As time passed the few music that was sung in the Catholic Church was carried from the time of the ancient Romans to the time of the great Kings and Queens of England.

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Religion in England During the Middle Ages

All of the Royalty in England and most everyone who lived in England was a member of the Catholic Church. But when King Henry VIII decided that he wanted to divorce his wife and the Catholic Church would not let him, he started his own church called The Church of England or the Anglican Church. As time passed the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church seemed to drift further and further apart. Such as the Catholic Church praised the Virgin Mary whereas the Anglican Church praised Jesus Christ more so. Along with the Anglican Church changing the language that it was preached in changed also.

English in the Church

King James, as in the King James Bible, thought that it was ridiculous how church was required to be preached in Latin, because for anyone who didn’t know Latin, it sounded like a bunch of Gibberish. So King James decided to translate the Bible, and Scriptures into English and other languages so it would be more understandable and easier for the common people to worship God the way they wanted to.

Worship Made Easy

With the services now being said in English and other languages it was much easier for people to worship and praise God. But still difficult to follow along during the services. Hence forth King James also assisted to writing a prayer book that would be kept in each pew so that the parishioners could follow along during the service. Which later led Queen Elizabeth and the priests on her private service to write a Book of Common Prayer that is still used today with slight modifications in modern services.

Music during Elizabethan England

Even before the Church of England had been started, and before Queen Elizabeth I really introduced music into church life, music was a huge part of everyday life. People of the Elizabethan time greatly enjoyed listening and singing along to music. They much more so enjoyed singing joyous songs together as one rather than the long Psalms that they were forced to sing in the Catholic Church.

Entertainment

People of Elizabethan England loved to be entertained. By having choirs, anthems, and actual joyful Psalms regularly in church made the common people more willing to go to church just because they had more fun, and in the end felt closer to the Holy Spirit than they ever had before.

The Origin of Anglican Music

Anglican music is taken mainly from Scriptures and other Biblical sources. About eighty percent of Anglican music is taken from Scriptures, and is the exact text from the Bible, about ten percent is taken from famous poems that are widely known, such as song “Rejoice in the Lamb” by Benjamin Britten is based off of the poem “Jubilate Agno” by Christopher Smart, and lastly the other ten percent of Anglican music is based off of lyrics that are written specifically for the song itself, and can be totally unrelated or extremely accurate to the current Scripture being said at the service of church.

Hymns in the Anglican Church

The Hymns of the Anglican Church are also based off of the current Scripture. Depending on the service, or time of year that the Hymn would be sung, the Hymn has different lyrics, moods, points to put across, and tempos.

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Seasonal

Along with the regular music of the Anglican Church that is sung regularly that only depends on the current Gospel, or is just about praising God, there is also Anglican music that relates to specific Church Seasons. When the church is not in a season, the types of music very so much that there are spirituals, a cappella songs, twentieth century American music, accompanied songs, and unaccompanied songs.

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Advent

Advent is the Season that prepares people for Christmas, or the birth of Jesus Christ. Music in Advent is not too up-beat because Christmas has more exciting songs than Advent, as to represent the big celebration. Music in Advent is usually sung a cappella, is usually older music, and more unfamiliar to the congregation.

Christmas

Christmas music is usually big sounding. It sounds like a whole bunch of drums pounding together but in beautiful tones. Christmas music is normally loud, and much louder than the music listened to during Advent. Christmas music is also quite bombastic. Christmas music is normally familiar to the congregation also. This brings the congregation together as one hopefully getting everyone to sing together. Christmas music is also very rhythmic and the notes are played and sung on the beat giving it a feel of joy, happiness, and completeness.

Epiphany

The theme of Epiphany is light. Light is normally thought of as bright, shiny, loud, colorful, beautiful, and full of greatness. Hence forth the music during Epiphany is generally very up-beat and quite ecstatic.http://www.tristarmedia.com/bestofrussia/images/icon4.jpg

Lent

Lent is the time to prepare for Easter. Lenten music is normally very dark and somber. It is generally about sinning and anything else that is dark, scary, or frightening. Lenten music is slower by nature just because it is not a time for rejoicing. The music of Lent is generally in minor keys just because it sounds much more sad and mournful than that of major keys. Lenten music is also quieter than other Church again just to represent the mournful spirit that one has as one awaits the crucifixion of Christ.

Easter

Easter music is much like Christmas music in the sense that is it is cheerful, but in many ways it is much more joyful and buoyant. Again like Christmas music, Easter music if very rhythmic and up-beat. Easter music is also written bombastically and to be sung loudly. Unlike Christmas music, Easter music is usually written with large organ accompaniments as to represent the happiness of the rising of Christ.

Pentecost

Pentecost is very unlike other church seasons. If anything it is the most like Epiphany just because it also has to do with light, flames, and fire, but it is much more avant garde than Epiphany. Music during Pentecost is very crazy compared to that of other church music as to represent the fire and the flames. http://www.franciscans.org/images/pentecost5.jpg

Quotes to ConsiderA Thought From:

Rev. David Dieter

“(Without Anglican music,) I would not be here, I would not be here talking to you, cause I would not be in Grosse Pointe, I would not be in Michigan, I would not be all kinds of things, if it had not been for my exposure to the Episcopal Church, everything was different after my first time officially at the National Cathedral in 1983 at evensong!”

A Thought From:Mr. Scott Hanoian

“(Anglican music,) Changing lives one note at a time!”

The End

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A Look Inside the Ways Anglican Music Relates to the Church Seasons

By:Elizabeth J. Stallings

Works Cited"Christ Church Grosse Pointe Choral Video Changing Lives... One

Note at a Time." Christ Church Gorsse Pointe, Music at CCGP. Web. 26 Apr 2010. <http://www.christchurchgp.org/music-video.html>.

Dieter, David. Personal INTERVIEW. 25 April 2010,Hanoian, Scott. Personal INTERVIEW. 21 April 2010.Mason, Dorothy E. Music in Elizabethan England. 7th ed.

Washington D. C. : The Folger Shakespeare Library, 1958. 1-35. Print. "Washington National Cathedral, Choral Music and Liturgy."

Washington National Cathedral. Washington National Cathedral, 2010. Web. 26 Apr 2010. <http://www.nationalcathedral.org/arts/musicLiturgy.shtml>.

Westrup, Abraham, Hughes, Wellesz, Cooper, Professor J. A., Dr. Gerald, Dom Anselm, Dr. Egon, Martin. "Limitations of Biblical Information, Monarchic Period, The Prophets of Music, Gnostic Hymns, Sacred and Secular, Popular Hymns, The Mass as a Unified Whole, Popular Religious Songs, The Beginnings of the Protestant Hymn, Church Music in Rome, Choral Resources." The New Oxford History of Music. 1st ed. 1 vols. 3 vols. 5 vols. London, England: Oxford University Press, 1957. Print.