The Early Christian Period Roots of Western musical practice — to ca. 800 CE

Old Testament ideas about music Singing and dance as responses to God’s goodness Music and poetry as prayer — Psalms Music as special gift — King David Musical powers – Joshua at Jericho (Joshua 6) – David and King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14–23)

Music in Jewish worship Temple ritual —music important, but not retained in Christianity Synagogue — cantillation of scripture; Psalms and canticles with genuine melody Passover meal (seder) — included singing (Hallel, Psalms 113–118)

Some elements of synagogue worship Reading, prayer Presentation of gifts Scriptural songs — psalms and canticles (with refrains — amen, alleluia) Hymns — simple, strophic, personal expression

Musical notations (te’amim) for chanting Jewish sacred music

Christian Church — dominated in Europe from about 300 CE to 1000 CE Knowledge — literacy tied to religion because of reliance on scripture Culture — worship only cultural activity to survive, music as medium for worship (cf. architecture, visual arts)

Musical practices in the early church Night services Prayer in Jerusalem, ca. 400 CE — daily services from Psalm singing of monks – morning, evening worship — early fourth century – third, sixth, ninth hours — later fourth century Mass – teaching service — reading of Epistle and Gospel framed by singing – Eucharist (Holy Communion, Lord’s Supper) Eucharistic prayers, fourth century Communion Psalm established, fourth century

Aspects of early Christian musical style Some melodies probably borrowed from Jewish music Local influences “Composition” from scratch unlikely in modal music cultures

Breakup of the Roman empire Empire split by Valerian, 254; division codified by Diocletian, 293 Constantinople established as capital, 325 Fifth-century invasions from north – 410 — Visigoths sack Rome – 429 — Vandals – 452 — Attila (d. 453) – 476 — fall of Rome Sixth century — end of Roman imperial era – Justinian (r. 527–565) asserts control of whole empire — Code of Justinian, Hagia Sophia – rise of Franks – Lombards in northern Italy – Gregory I (r ) establishes independent power of papacy Seventh century — spread of Muslim power – Muhammad (570/571–632) – Koran written in final form in 651–652 – conquest of Middle East, northern Africa, Iberian peninsula, to western Asia

Divergent musical traditions in the West “Roman-African” group – especially Roman (“Old Roman”) – related repertoires in Ravenna Aquileia Benevento “Gallican” group – Ambrosian — Milan – Celtic — Ireland – Mozarabic — Spain – Gallican, or Frankish — France

The music of Eastern Christianity — Byzantine style and practice Based in Byzantium (Constantinople, now Istanbul), imperial capital from 330 and seat of Eastern Church Ekphonetic recitation — formulas for scripture readings Elaborate, extended musical compositions — two important types – kontakion — elaborate, multistrophe hymn – kanon — series of odes based on a canticle Theory (influence of Jewish practice rather than Greek) – system based on practice and melodic units rather than pitches – eight echoi, or classes of formulas, in two sets of four, centering on D E F G

Europe ca. 600

Music in the Western church All elements previously mentioned as deriving from Jewish tradition – readings and prayers – psalms and canticles – hymns Plus independent Christian chants originally associated with psalms — antiphons

Questions for discussion How did/does the Judeo-Christian tradition justify theologically the importance of music in its worship? How did the texts that were sung in Jewish and early Christian worship reflect the needs of an unnotated musical tradition?