Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-10
MUSIC HELPFUL
IN REFORMATION
Luther Turned Attention to
Hymn Writing After His
Translation Work

aff1Xed his now famous theses upon
the door of the castle church at Wit
tenberg. 1t is interesting to note
that in the plans for the celebration
or this epochal year. music is taking
leading part. Musical programs
are being prepared for the churches
and Sunday schools, and concerts are
pelns held in communities of all
classes and eXtractions. 1t is alto
Setner hitting and proper that this
should be so. For it was really due
to Luther, though known to the
world as religious reformer, really
made his infiIence felt in the social,
political and educational world of
the time, that music was made the
cfltage of every man. Previous to
that time, it will be remembered, it
was only the clergy VINO sang or
chanted the songs and hymns of the
church and in the main those were
the only musical expressions of any
value or beauty.
Appreciation of the Part Music
Played i'm the Religious Life of
People Felt by Luther
Luther himself. after he had COM
pleted the arduous task of translat-
ing the New Testament of the Bible
large turned mis- attention to the
writing of hymns. 1t was through
those that ha believed the people
could give expression of their sincere
and deep feelings about the new
Theology. At That time he is known
to have written to a brother re-
former, Il propose after the example
of the prophets and of the early
Fathers to write for the people some
German hymns and spiritual songs,
so that, by the help of song, tho
word of God may abide among
them" How greatly he succeeded in
this can perhaps best be appreciated
by quoting the words of a Jesuit
priest to whom the new religion was
naturally obnoxious.
THE people," he said, ARE sing
ing themselves into the new doc
trines. Luther's songs have damned
more souls than all his books and
speeches." Whether or not the Ref
oTmetion and its subsequent results
have damned souls is matter to be
settled by those in a position to
Judge, but the fact remains that it
was music that brought light to bear
upon the darkness in which the mind
of the ordinary layman was at that
time stepped.
One of the means which Luther
used toward the universal spread of
music was having it introduced into
the day schools of the country. THE
devil can't bear music" he wrote,
for music is one of the most beau
.iful and glorious gifts of God and
allied closely to theology. | have
always loved it; it is absolutely nee
essary to encourage the study OF t
In our schools
Luther Responsible For Growth of
Music Among the Germans
D'Anjou, the French historian and
critic, in writing about the work of
the great Reformer gives to this man
the credit for instilling the love of
song into the hearts of the German
people Says he. "Of truth, Lu-
ther, in causing simple, easy, ap-
ealing melodies to be adopted,
learned in the schools ana sung with
the organ, powerfully developed in
Germany a feeling for music"
The most popular hymn at that
time. the one which later came to
be called the "MafseiiIaise of the
reformation" was "A Mighty Fort
ress Is Our God" 1t marked the
EeynCte of the Reformation. the new
order of things, wherein the people
were given part in the public Wor-
ship which had hitherto been denied
tlGln. In the gatherings Oh the early
Christians at the beginning of Chris
tendon, it was the rule that all who
worshipped might join in the music
that was an outpouring Of the re-
ligious feeling within the hearts of
those who had come to pray. With
the coming of the Dark Ages, how
ever, all this was changed. The
church. meaning the clergy, took
away from the layman everything
which might in any way bring him in
closer communication with his Goa.
Il was against this which Luther
rebelled and which led to the popu-
Iarity of the aforementioned hymn.
New Faith Spread by Mastcrsingers
A powerful aid in the popu1ariza-
tion of the Reformation was the
singing of it's teachings by the Mas
tersingers. In France troubadors
rendered service of inestimable value
to the reformed faith; in Germany
the NIinnesingers accomplished the
SAME work. Some of the greatest
amons them were Walter Won der
Vogeiweide and Hugo Won Trimberg,
who poured forth in song their in
vectives against Rome and the cor
ruption of the church. The greatest
of the Mastersingers was, however,
| Hans Sachs. the shoemaker-music
who. through his music, reached
many circles which otherwise might
not have been touched by the new