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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities
Sing On, Ntsikana: The Story Of Christian Music Among The Xhosa People Of South Africa, Jonathan T. Knight
Sing On, Ntsikana: The Story Of Christian Music Among The Xhosa People Of South Africa, Jonathan T. Knight
Musical Offerings
The Xhosa, an African people united by language and history, occupied a large portion of what is now eastern South Africa prior to the arrival of Europeans. After the arrival of Christianity through the Europeans, one of the earliest Xhosa converts, Ntsikana, was also the first Xhosa to compose music meant to worship their newfound Savior. Though this music in the traditional Xhosa style lay dormant for some time, enthusiastic Xhosa ministers in the past century have done much to learn from and expand upon the musical, spiritual legacy of Ntsikana. A unique blend of European and South African music …
The Rhetoric Of The Troubadours, Mary C. Abraham
The Rhetoric Of The Troubadours, Mary C. Abraham
Musical Offerings
The medieval troubadours were no wandering musicians, casually improvising their songs as they strolled from town to town, but trained artists who lovingly crafted their songs to please and woo their listeners. The art of rhetoric deeply affected the art of the troubadour. First, the art of rhetoric divided composition of a speech into five well-defined parts. The troubadours consciously molded their songs according to these parts. Second, the medieval troubadour theorists then developed a system of genres, adding their own layer to the ancient art of rhetoric. Each genre demanded a specific topic, such as love, and a peculiar …
Conservative Radical: Martin Luther’S Influence On Congregational Singing, Jonathan T. Knight
Conservative Radical: Martin Luther’S Influence On Congregational Singing, Jonathan T. Knight
Musical Offerings
Martin Luther played an influential role in the transition from the priest-dominated Catholic worship to congregationally accessible evangelical services. This study demonstrates that, though his musical reforms were not dramatic, they were intentional and effective. Luther’s understanding of music theologically, theoretically, and practically enabled him to effectively utilize available musical resources to make music increasingly accessible, for the purpose of teaching the Word of God. Through Luther’s hymns, people began proclaiming the Word of God musically. Through liturgical reform, Luther provided congregations with a framework through which to incorporate congregational song in the liturgy. Through music education, Luther increased musical …
Music: Its Expressive Power And Moral Significance, Sarah Whitfield
Music: Its Expressive Power And Moral Significance, Sarah Whitfield
Musical Offerings
The creation and practice of music is tightly wound with human emotion, character, and experience. Music arouses sentiment and cannot be underestimated as a powerful shaper of human virtue, character, and emotion. As vehicles of musical expression, musicians possess the ability to profoundly influence an audience for good or for evil. Thus, the nature of music and the manner in which musicians utilize it creates innumerable ramifications that cannot be ignored. The pervasiveness of this notion is largely attributed to the Greek theorists, who ascribed various emotions and moral implications to particular modes. The prominent Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle …
Dance And Its Importance In Bach’S Suites For Solo Cello, Audrey Hebson
Dance And Its Importance In Bach’S Suites For Solo Cello, Audrey Hebson
Musical Offerings
Before J. S. Bach, the cello was rarely used as a solo instrument. With his suites for solo cello, however, Bach took the instrument out of the background of dance accompaniment and basso continuo, and placed it on the center stage for musical audiences. He accomplished this by using dance movements, a style in which the cello was already a familiar accompanying instrument. The forms of these dance movements were also used in such a way as to uniquely express the cello’s potential as a solo instrument. Ultimately, it was these suites that would inspire other composers to write solo …
The Journey Of The Song Cycle: From “The Iliad” To “American Idiot", Katrina Gingerich
The Journey Of The Song Cycle: From “The Iliad” To “American Idiot", Katrina Gingerich
Musical Offerings
The song cycle has been one of the most important musical forms across the span of vocal music. From the time of Beethoven’s composition of An die ferne Geliebte to the present, the basic elements of a song cycle have remained mostly unchanged. The form of the song cycle is also present in concept albums of today and epic poetry of the ancient past. The melding of story and song happens so naturally, the two were truly created to work together. Whether in an ancient mead-hall, a nineteenth-century salon, or a modern-day living room the song cycle has adjusted and …