Date of Award
8-1982
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Music: General
First Advisor
Mrs. Suzanne K. Bunting
Abstract
The development of protestant chorales reflected the new goals which the reformation brought to the church service. Martin Luther, a primary leader of the Protestant Reformation, recognized that that goal of the service was to make his revelation of faith understandable to the people of Germany. The church service now became more than a sacramental act of obedience; it was a time for people to willingly proclaim the word of God. Through the singing of the chorale, the congregation took an active part in proclaiming the new faith found in the Reformation.
These sacred songs, composed by Luther and his followers, contain elements of both the plainsong and folk song tradition. The consist of a simply worded text, an easily singable melody, rhymed metrical verse, and a strophic musical and textual form. The chorales were intended to be sung unaccompanied and in unison by the congregation, but this congregational singing was often performed in alternation with organ setting, and polyphonic setting sung by the choir.
Recommended Citation
Utley, Suzanne A., "Organ chorale forms of the Baroque era" (1982). Honors Theses. 762.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/762