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38 The National Music of America.
be, the Psalm was sung standing, for Pilgrim and Puritan stood, rather than knelt, at acts of greatest devotion. There was no music attached to the poems, the traditional old melodies being employed. The "Admonition to the Reader " stated the musical requirements clearly, as follows:
" The verses of these psalmes may be reduced to six kindes, the first whereof may be sung in very neere fourty common tunes; as they are collected out of our chief musicians by Tho. Ravenscroft.
" The second kinde may be sung in three tunes as Ps. 25, 50 and 67 in our English psalme books.
" The third, may be sung indifferently, as Ps. the 51, 100 and ten commandments, in our English psalme books, which three tunes aforesaid, comprehend almost all this whole book of psalmes, as being tunes most familiar to us."
There never was an innovation made in the Puritan or Pilgrim church, but that a vehement storm of opposition arose in some quarters. This was an outcome of the fundamental principle of the Separatists, that the elders were the church, that there was |
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