The development of American church music during the nineteenth century has important implications for the philosophy and practice of church music in the twentieth century and beyond. Indeed, “it would be difficult to overstate the impact that antebellum sacred music reforms had on subsequent musical developments in America, and many scholars identify this period as… Continue Reading
Series: 19th Century American Church Music
Cultivated, Commercial, and Communal Music
Church music in nineteenth century America can be summarized very simply with one word: reform. In many ways, the influential writers and composers of the nineteenth century were bent upon rejecting the new music of eighteenth century American composers and returning to more established classical traditions. In order to understand their motivation, however, one must consider both the changes… Continue Reading
"Indigenous" vs "European" Music in 19th Century America
I have suggested that the 19th century in America was a time in which three forms of culture began to emerge distinct from one another: cultivated, communal, and commercial culture. There exists some disagreement amongst scholars, however, over whether this division between folk, popular, and cultivated music was really a distinction between American music and European… Continue Reading
Reforming Influences in 19th Century American Church Music
There were many composers, writers, and organizations during the nineteenth century that objected to the current condition of American church music and encouraged reform. Yet none had as lasting influence as the Boston Handel and Haydn Society, Thomas Hastings, and Lowell Mason. Boston Handel and Haydn Society The Handel and Haydn Society was formed in 1815 in Boston… Continue Reading