Overview

Nearly all religious traditions have reserved a special place for sacred music. Whether it is music accompanying a ritual or purely for devotional purposes, music composed for entire congregations or for the trained soloist, or music set to holy words or purely instrumental, in some form or another, music is present. In fact, in some traditions the relation between the music and the ritual is so intimate that to distinguish between them would be inaccurate. The Historical Dictionary of Sacred Music covers the most important aspects of the sacred music of Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and other smaller religious groups. It provides useful information on all the significant traditions of this music through the use of a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on major types of music, composers, key religious figures, specialized positions, genres of compos

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9780810855304

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Reviews

This book has much to offer the amateur and specialist alike, providing a large body of factual information with illuminating introductions and overviews that contextualize the material. -- Dr. Melvin P. Unger, Director, Riemenschneider Bach Institute Highly recommended. CHOICE, Vol. 44, No. 09 (May 2007) ...a unique and invaluable reference book...A welcome addition to every reference shelf; recommended for all public and academic libraries. Library Journal, 2/15/2007 ...valuable... American Reference Books Annual, vol. 38 (2007) Joseph Swain impressively documents the people, places, concepts, and repertory intertwined in the history of religious music. The net he casts is wide; the trove is rich. Clerics, church musicians, and students alike will find it a congenial companion. -- Dr. Steven E. Plank, Professor and Chair, Department of Musicology, Oberlin College Accessible to students, general readers, and musicians and composers, this dictionary includes terms associated with the sacred music of Christianity and Judaism, with some related to Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and other religions. Entries are on traditions, documents, religious figures such as Martin Luther, writers, publishers, places, genres like the mass, terms such as alleluia, and compositions such as The Creation. Famous composers with little sacred output are only briefly discussed, and performers and scholars are omitted. Some knowledge of musical vocabulary and religious practices is assumed. Appendices contain texts and translations of the Roman Catholic rites, the Shema, and the Kaddish. Swain, a music critic, is a former music history and theory teacher at Phillips Academy and Colgate U. Reference and Research Book News A compact, ecumenical dictionary...This title is highly recommended for anyone with even a cursory interest in the topic-it takes up minimal shelf space is fairly inexpensive. Additionally, the musical and cultural coverage makes it indispensible for libraries. Fontes Artis Musicae

Joseph Swain impressively documents the people, places, concepts, and repertory intertwined in the history of religious music. The net he casts is wide; the trove is rich. Clerics, church musicians, and students alike will find it a congenial companion.--Dr. Steven E. Plank

Author Information

Joseph P. Swain has taught music history and theory at Phillips Academy and Colgate University for more than 25 years. He writes music criticism and critical theory and performs regularly as church organist, violist, and choir director.

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