Music Of The Reformation

The reforms in music which attended the reform of worship in the Reformation ranged widely from the rejection of all instruments and the restriction of singing solely to the Psalms to the choral Eucharists of the Anglicans. This article traces musical developments in the Lutheran, Anglican, Reformed, Puritan, and early free church traditions. Christian Worship in the Reformation During the Middle Ages, worship had developed into an elaborate ritual which evidenced serious distortions of apostolic standards, according to the Reformers, in both theology and practice. The following five developments were especially troubling to the Reformers. (1) The Liturgy of the Word had little significance. Although provision was made for Scripture reading and a homily in the vernacular, a sermon was rarely heard since most local priests were too illiterate to be capable of preaching. (2) Typical worshipers understood little of what was being said or sung, since the service was in Latin. Their …