tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232379321118598496.post3119199809070776091..comments2023-10-29T02:30:23.642-07:00Comments on Calvin On Tap: Charles Garside on Calvin's view of Psalmody pt.8: the 1542 Epistle to the ReaderJohn Sawtellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04570490352354572664noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232379321118598496.post-52505817684215287132011-09-02T05:47:10.579-07:002011-09-02T05:47:10.579-07:00Alvin,
Good questions all, let me see if I can she...Alvin,<br />Good questions all, let me see if I can shed some light here. Calvin is known for having restored congregational singing to the Reformed church after it had been wrested from the congregation and put into the hands of professional choirs during the high middle ages. The first thing Calvin did to promote that aim was to get rid of organs and choirs. He thought organs were of a piece with OT instruments which had banished with all the rest of the types and shadows with the cross of Christ. Next, Calvin, with the help of professional musicians and poets, put together a psalter to sing from. The first one was put together in Strausburg and then Calvin built on that work over his ministry in Genva, producing many editions in French for use in Geneva which climaxed in the 1562 Geneva Psalter. These psalms were metrical and put to sacred melodies in order to facilitate congregational singing. It was expected that congregational members would purchase their own copies of this psalter and bring them to worship. Finally,and I say this to the best of my knowledge, Calvin was opposed to human compositions and did not permit their use in public worship. I am aware the some attribute a hymn, "I Greet Thee My Sure Redeemer" but there is not a shred of evidence that Calvin composed this and it never found its way into any of the Genevan Psalters produced during Calvin's lifetime. The best line on this hymn is that it was inserted into Calvin's works sometime into the 19th century and ascribed to Calvin's hand. <br /><br />I hope that gets to your questions.John Sawtellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04570490352354572664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4232379321118598496.post-56066646162321019902011-09-01T09:13:48.329-07:002011-09-01T09:13:48.329-07:00Do we know how the Genevans sang the Psalter? For ...Do we know how the Genevans sang the Psalter? For instance were all instrumentation removed from all liturgies? Also did they sing straight from the Bible, did they have a Psalter with "raw" Psalms or were they metered? If so were they chanted or sung? Finally, were their any hymns sung? Thanks for the post.<br /><br />Alvin MullinsAlvin Mullinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03470920213237430232noreply@blogger.com