“I wish to make German hymns for the people, that the Word of God may dwell in their hearts by means of song also.” Martin Luther Faith, Works, and the Bible Five centuries ago, during the peak of the Renaissance era, Martin Luther (1483-1546) made history by stepping away from the Catholic church and helping initiate the […]
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As I’ve been doing some research and score study for a new composition, I came across Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958). After listening to it on repeat this week, I thought I’d share it with you! Background Composed in 1910, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (also known as […]
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Remember earlier this week when I posted about O Magnum Mysterium, a 16th century motet taken from Catholic Mass? Well, today I want to share another Mass with you – but this one is from the 21st century. Called Sunrise Mass, Norwegian composer Olja Gjeilo (b. 1978) created this 30-minute work for choir and strings with four […]
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O Magnum Mysterium is a Catholic church chant sung at Christmastime. As part of the Matins (nighttime worship), the text has been around for centuries. While the exact origins are unknown, historians believe the text (and its use in Catholic Mass) has been around since at least the 10th century. Because the work is so […]
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Whether you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus or you prefer to search for colorful eggs, Easter is celebrated in many forms worldwide. One of the oldest holidays, Easter has been around since the 2nd century! This has led to an endless amount of music written for the special day, so here is a list of […]
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Before “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” was translated into English, this special Christmas hymn – originally in Latin – was born out of O Antiphons: a set of monastic chants sung the week before Christmas as early as the 9th century. O Antiphons The O Antiphons are a set of chants used at Vespers (sunset/evening prayer) during […]
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“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is one of the oldest existing Christmas carols. Yep, you read that correctly. Dated back to the 1500s and earlier, this English carol has actually gone through a lot of change and misinterpretation over the years. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” was written as a reaction to 15th century church music. […]
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Last week we talked about Renaissance music, so today I’m going to introduce you to Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis and his choral motet Spem in alium. An English composer who lived from around 1505-1585, Thomas Tallis is considered one of England’s greatest composers. Not much is known about his early life, but he was probably […]
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Following the Medieval Era’s end around 1400, the Renaissance Era lasted for about two centuries. Historians tend to disagree on when exactly Renaissance music became standard, but it wasn’t until many decades after Renaissance art and literature started that music began to change. Like the visual and literary arts, Renaissance music reflected characteristics of human development including […]
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One of my favorite Christmas carols is Silent Night. I love the way the lyrics describe the nativity scene, and the music itself is quite beautiful. This led me to wonder about the history of the song. If you liked my arrangement, click here to download the sheet music for free! The very first performance of Silent Night […]
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