Reading suggestions for history of church music?

A colleague of mine at Villanova University is putting together a course on church history and as part of that course she wants to give attention to the history of music used in / for worship. She and I are looking for suggestions for texts that address this topic. Please share your ideas here on PT.

Timothy Brunk

Dr. Timothy Brunk is Associate Professor of Liturgical and Sacramental Theology in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University.  He holds a doctorate from Marquette University, a Master of Arts degree in pastoral studies from Seattle University, a Master of Arts in theology from Boston College, and a Bachelor’s degree from Amherst College.  He is the author of fifteen journal articles and two books, including The Sacraments and Consumer Culture (Liturgical Press, 2020), which the Catholic Media Association recognized at its annual meeting as the first-place winner in the category of books on the sacraments.

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Comments

10 responses to “Reading suggestions for history of church music?”

  1. Anthony Ruff, OSB Avatar
    Anthony Ruff, OSB

    I too have looked for this and welcome suggestions from others. I haven’t yet found the right text, but I have used “Sacred Music, History of” from the New Catholic Encyclopedia as a brief overview.
    awr

    Reply
  2. Jeremy Helmes

    Surely a chapter or two from AWR’s 19,000 page book would be good?

    (It really is great…and “comprehensive”! )

    Reply
  3. Alan Hommerding

    Actually, I thought Ed Schaefer’s “Catholic Music through the Ages” was not bad:

    https://www.ltp.org/p-2459-catholic-music-through-the-ages-balancing-the-needs-of-a-worshipping-church-ebook.aspx

    Admittedly, a bit of slant or bias, but the historical overview is pretty good and manageable.

    Reply
  4. Kevin Vogt

    How about the Andrew Wilson-Dickson “The Story of Christian Music?” I’ve found it to be very helpful for doctoral students reviewing for comprehensive exams. The pop-out windows and illustrations are very helpful in the task of organizing large amounts of information.
    http://www.amazon.com/Story-Christian-Music-Authoritative-Illustrated/dp/0745921426/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453934203&sr=8-1&keywords=Wilson-Dickson

    Reply
  5. fred moleck

    Anthony Ruff’s citation of the entry in the New Catholic Encyclopedia is a good start.

    “Worship Music A Concise Dictionary. Liturgical Press, Collegeville,MN by Edward Foley, is a good start.

    Robert Hayburn,Mus.D> Papal Legislation on Sacred Music 95AD to 1977 The Liturgical Press, Collegeville,MN

    Reply
  6. Alan Fredericks

    Te Deum The Church and Music by Paul Westermeyer. If you want to focus more on hymnody another Westermeyer book Let The People Sing: Hymn Tunes In Perspective and Sing with Understanding by Eskew and McElrath are great resources. These are all comprehensive and not specific to the Roman Catholic tradition, so it depends on how wide a net you want to cast.

    Reply
  7. Adam Wood

    The Christian West and Its Singers: The First Thousand Years

    My full review from a couple years ago. I loved it:
    http://www.chantcafe.com/2013/06/you-must-read-this-book.html

    Reply
  8. Mark Schwietz

    Ring Kimberly Marshall. She’s at ASU and can give you some direction.

    Reply
  9. Steve Janco

    For a broader approach, check out Christian Music: A Global History, by Tim Dowley (Fortress Press, 2011)

    Reply
  10. Tim Brunk

    Thanks to all for your suggestions!

    Reply

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