The Basics III

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Jan 1, 2003

Before I get into the main body of this article, I've gotta say a few things.

Parents, avoid the use of absolutes when talking with your kids about "their" music. Don't say all rock and roll is evil, or that rock and roll causes suicide. Those statements can be very rightly argued. Such statements close the ears of people and makes valid warnings ineffective. If you're gonna say your kid has to give up his or her music, offer alternatives. ZoeGirl is NOT an acceptable alternative to Metallica or Korn! If you're giving up your worldly rock you needn't give up the sort of sound you like.

The book from which notes for this article came is Patrick Kavanaugh's Music of Angels: A Listener's Guide to Sacred Music from Chant to Christian Rock (Loyola Press, 1999).

As I said in an earlier article, fussing about "that modern music" is heard at least as early as in the three-digit years, when sharps and flats were introduced to the scale. By Renaissance times (1400-1600), sacred and secular music inter-mingled, as it does today. Composers back then, however, could work freely in both areas without scorn from either side. The two sides, however, soon began to clash.

The Reformation and Counter-Reformation brought more separation between sacred and secular music. Protestants were free to say, "That's not Christian," unlike in earlier days when Rome had to approve all music and there could be no argument. Throughout these times, musical instruments were not used in church. But, life is about change. By the end of the Reformation, full orchestras were found in churches. Despite this radical development, only the men and boys were allowed to sing in church. As with any change in tradition, there were detractors. Erasmus (d. 1536), a Renaissance philosopher, said that modern church music is so constructed that the congregation cannot hear one distinct word. (Foreshadowing of: "That rock music is all yelling. You can't understand anything they sing"?)

By Renaissance times, we have named composers, other than Anonymous (anon.) and Traditional (trad.). As we know, Anon and Trad were possibly the most prolific writers of all time. Back on track, the later Renaissance brought entire congregations into singing, at least for the Protestants. Martin Luther was, one of, if not the first musician to take secular hits and put Christian lyrics to 'em. In other words, Weird Al Yankovic and ApologetiX weren't the first parody artists. Everyone knew the tavern tunes, so they could now sing in church. Luther loved music, and wanted the whole congregation involved in all aspects of worship. Without approval-dependence on Rome, national musical styles began to come into use. (time-jump now)

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