On Sunday 20 December 2009 2:32:36 pm howard posner wrote:> > I'm guessing that just about any instrument would have been at one > time too secular for Christian worship. Instrumental music had a > long journey to become a part of Christian worship, which hasn't > concerned us much in this discussion because it was well established > by the Renaissance, and some of the new Protestant sects were > eliminating it precisely because of its secularity and their desire > to reject the "irreligious" aspects of Catholicism. So every > instrument would have had secular skeletons in its closet: Trombones, > cornetti and other winds were imported from town bands; trumpets had > military connotations, violins were dance instruments. Even the > organ took centuries to gain acceptance.
On 24 November 1655 Oliver Cromwell prohibited the Anglican liturgy. Organs and other musical instruments used for worship disappeared and reappeared in alehouses. "They have translated the organs out of the churches and set them up in taverns, chanting their ditty rambics and bestial Baccanalias to the tune of those instruments which were wonted to assist them in the celebration of God's praises." There's no pleasing Puritans! Cheers - Stuart McLuckie To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
