The Anglican Choral Tradion PART I • The term ‘Anglican’ refers to the Church of England, from the Lan Ecclesia Anglicana.

• No surviving documents on what music, or musicians, accompanied worship during Roman and Celc mes.

• The Venerable Bede (English Monk, c. 673-c. 735) one of few sources of informaon for English Church prior to Norman Conquest of 1066.

• The Venerable Bede describes ‘Anglican’ characteriscs remaining constant through the present day. 1. MONASTICISM • Benedicne monascism’s emphasis on Daily Office. Mans, Lauds, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline.

• 8 of 15 English medieval cathedrals under Benedicne rule, including Canterbury.

• Despite Norman Conquest of 1066, a disnct preference for monascism strong up unl the Reformaon.

Cloister, Gloucester Cathedral

• ‘Secular’ cathedrals similar to monasc foundaons.

• Choir schools established to educate and train choirboys and adult singers (vicars choral).

• These establishments centers for sung Daily Office, included Mass.

• Mass sung in honour of Virgin Mary in Lady Chapel with highly skilled singers, apart from the monks and vicars choral. Lady Chapel, Ely Cathedral • Sung Offices developed from Benedicne tradion, and organized by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in the Book of Common Prayer 1549.

• Disncve form of Anglican worship from the Reformaon to the present, conflang of monasc Daily Office to 2 basic liturgies: Mans (Morning Prayer) and Evensong (Evening Prayer).

• Since the Book of Common Prayer (1549), the Daily Office has been sung in cathedrals, abbeys, and greater churches of the Anglican Church.

• Historic Rubric of Book of Common Prayer, 1662 In quires and placed where they sing, here followeth the anthem.

• This historic rubric establishes anthem (derived from anphon) as a vove offering that is uniquely Anglican.

2. PLAINSONG

• Use and importance of plainsong

• Plainsong exclusive music of monasc communies. • Reformaon: Dissoluon of monascism, plainsong retained and encouraged.

• Late Middle Ages First Golden Age of Anglican Choral Tradion.

3. CONTINUITY

• Avoidance of radical revoluon in liturgy and hierarchy: Prayerbook and secularizaon of monasc communies.

• Once prayerbook established (1549), a direct lineage to the present day: Despite theological variances, conservave evoluon from Pre- Reformaon past. • 8 monasc cathedrals re-founded with secular canons, and six monasc establishments elevated to cathedral status. • Medieval choir schools became King’s Schools with some students becoming choral scholars.

• Ex: Canterbury

Twelve Canons King’s School, Canterbury Twelve Vicars Choral and Choirboys replaced the monks. • Sung Morning Prayer (Mans) and Evening Prayer (Evensong) replaced the monasc offices.

• Daily Masses and Lady Masses eliminated and replaced by Daily Eucharist (generally said).

• Sunday Eucharist, or important Feast Days, connued the tradion of the Sung Mass, as Choral Eucharist. • Connuity over novelty • Archbishop Cranmer commissioned John Merbecke (c. 1510-1585) to provide simplified chant for vernacular liturgy based on medieval plainsong.

• Post-Reformaon English Church shared the aesthec and liturgical underpinning of the medieval church. Book of Common Prayer Noted, 1550 • The Act of Uniformity (1549), abruptly swept away centuries of the Lan music tradion.

• The English Church at once had to fill the void le by the Lan tradion, yet strive to maintain the aesthec of the older tradion. • Second Golden Age (Tudor Period)

• High-point in the history of the English Language (Shakespeare, King James Bible, Miles Coverdale).

• Standardizaon (Modern English)

• Rubrics of the BCP specify the use of music.

• Regular commissioning of choral music for highly trained choirs of cathedrals, and college chapels. Elizabeth 1, Gloriana • Third Golden Age

• 19th century choral revival connected to Cambridge Ecclesiologists (Oxford Movement)

• The great English composers begin to write music for the English Church.

• The church’s liturgy remained constant from mid 17th century to the 20th century encouraged great composers to write music whose aesthec was universal, not ephemeral. • Connuity of 1662 BCP with American Prayer Books.

• Expansion of American Church (Episcopal) in early part of 20th century.

• Choral Foundaons modeled aer English counterparts (Men & Boys Choirs)

St Thomas Church, Fih Ave (NYC) Cathedral Tradion

Generally Professional Choristers (Men and Boys) Lay clerks, Vicars Choral

Great composers of the day were somemes directly involved with the music of the church. (choirmasters, organists)

Music specifically wrien for a cathedral-collegiate environment. (Eucharist, Mans, Evensong)

Daily Office

Parish Church

Hymns, Psalms, Cancles sung to to simplified tones. volunteers singers with professional singers, all volunteer singers, or no choir.

Congregaons acvely encouraged/expected to sing musical porons of the service. Oxford Movement