Humanism and the Reform of Sacred Music in Early Modern England: John Merbecke the Orator and The Booke of Common Praier Noted (1550)

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Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2008 - 274 pages
John Merbecke (c. 1505 c. 1585) is most famous as the composer of the first musical setting of the English liturgy, "The booke of Common Praier Noted" ("BCPN"), published in 1550. Not only was Merbecke a pioneer in setting English prose to music but also the compiler of the first "Concordance of the whole English Bible" (1550) and of the first English encyclopaedia of biblical and theological studies, "A Booke of Notes and Common Places" (1581). By situating Merbecke and his work within a broader intellectual and religiocultural context of Tudor England, this book challenges the existing studies of Merbecke based on the narrow theological approach to the Reformation. Furthermore, it suggests a rethinking of the prevailing interpretative framework of Reformation musical history.On the basis of the new contextual study of Merbecke, this book seeks to reinterpret his work, particularly "BCPN," in the light of humanist rhetoric. It sees Merbecke as embodying the ideal of the 'Christianmusical orator', demonstrating that "BCPN" is an Anglican epitome of the Erasmian synthesis of eloquence, theology and music. The book thus depicts Merbecke as a humanist reformer, through reevaluation of his contributions to the developments of vernacular music and literature in early modern England. As such it will be of interest, not only to church musicians, but also to historians of the Reformation and students of wider Tudor culture.
 

Table des matières

Introduction
1
A Humanist John Merbecke
21
Erasmian Humanism and the Reform of Sacred Music
65
Anglican Plainchant in the Making
97
Rhetoric and the Reform of Plainchant in The Booke of Common Praier Noted 1550
139
Conclusion
199
Appendix
203
Bibliography
207
Index
239
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