Music of the New World: The Moravians

Review: We have had discusses the German religious leader Martin

Luther (1483-1546), who nailed his 95 Theses upon the door of the church in
Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. This document, among other things, denounced
the sale of indulgences; and encouraged the use of vernacular language
(Germaniic in his case) rather than Romaine in churches. He and the French John
Calvin (1509-1564) were among the primary figures who began and influenced
the Reformation of the early Catholic Christian Church.
Less well-known is the Moravian, John Hus (c.1369-1415). 95 years before
Martin Luther, John Hus who was a professor of theology at Prague University,
protested the sale of indulgences in Bohemia (known in the 20th C. as
Czechoslovakia, now as the Czech Republic.) He and his followers were
excommunicated from the church in 1410, and in 1415, Hus was burned at the
stake as a heretic. The Moravian Church, or Unitas Fratrum (United Brethren)
as it was known, was a pre-Reformation Protestant church. (Moravia and
Bohemia are both sections of what became Czechosovakia.)
The members of Unitas Fratrum were nearly exterminated during the
Thirty Years’ War (referred to in the last lecture). The Thirty Years’ War (1618 to
1648) was fought to suppress the Huguenot Protestants and others. This
suppression had its beginning in Bohemia. The Protestant Bohemians revolted
against the Catholic policies of the controlling Catholic Regents in Prague.
During the revolt, two of these regents, Jaroslav von Martinitz and William
Slawata, were defenestrated -- being thrown out of the windows of the palace in
Prague by the protesters. They survived the fall, but the incident served to
provoke the Thirty Years’ War, which was fought all over Europe (not only in
France) between Catholics and various Protestant sects. Finally, the war ended,
not because any side won, but because the war had devastated Europe. The
outcome was that Catholicism had not been clearly established as the religion of
Europe, and Germany was broken up into literally hundreds of small city-states,
some Catholic and some Protestant.
After the Thirty Years’ War, remaining members of Unitas Fratrum
continued on, forming again in 1722 in eastern Germany (formerly Saxony).
They established a settlement called Hernhut, under the protection of and on the
estate of Count Nicholas von Zinzendorf. Zinzendorf, a Protestant, introduced
German music practices (remember, this course is about music!) into the
religious practices of the Moravians. A new church developed in 1732, called the
Renewed Moravian Church. Among its activities was a strong commitment to
missionary work, inspired by Zinzendorf.
The Moravians traveled as missionaries all over the world, establishing
communities in over twenty-five countries, including the New World. In the
New World, the first mission established by the Moravians was in Georgia in
1735; it didn’t last, however. Later communities of Moravians were established
in Pennsylvania. Count Zinzendorf himself came to the New World around 1759
to preach, and established a church in Lititz, Pennsylvania, called Gemeinhaus.
That building, still in existence, is now a parsonage. The community of Hernhut
in Germany still exists today as a center for Moravians throughout the world.

American Moravian Music, vocal with orchestra – some interesting art work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKkuQVISxY4 (36 minutes)

"It is a precious thing" - J.F. Peter

5:22 "I will go in the strength of the Lord" - J. Herbst
7:10 "Go, congregation, go!" - Gregor, Antes
10:55 "Surely he has borne our griefs" – J. Antes
13:42 "What splendid rays of truth and grace" – Gregor, Antes
"O deepest grief" – Hamilton, Antes
"Hearken! Stay close to Jesus Christ" – D. Michael
"Loveliest Immanuel" – C. Latrobe, J. Antes
"O sacred head, now wounded" – J.P. Kellner
"The Lord is in his holy temple" – J.F. Peter
"Hosanna" - E.W. Leinbach

There are still several towns in Pennsylvania, originally founded by the

Moravians as closed religious communities: Bethlehem in 1742 and Lititz, PA
among them. Beginning in 1753, Moravians bought 100,000 acres of wilderness
in North Carolina, and founded Salem (now Winston-Salem) as well as several
other communities. They were tobacco growers, and became very wealthy.
Music has always been an important part of the life of the Moravians.
John Hus believed in the singing of the congregation (as opposed to the singing
of monks in the early Catholic Church), and the Unitas Fratrum wrote the first
Protestant hymnal in 1501. The influence of German music in the early 1700’s
was strong, under the influence and protection of Zinzendorf, and that tradition
came with the Moravians to the New World. (We will see that German music
influenced American music very much through the 1800s and into the 20th C. as
well). The Bethlehem Bach Choir, founded in Bethlehem, PA in 1898, did much
to introduce Bach’s choral music to the US.
Hymn singing was very important not only in church services, but in
daily family and community life. Singing took place at mealtimes and at work;
and at the “love feasts” which were (and continue to be) times of fellowship,
song and food. Instrumental music was very much a part of love feasts, as was
singing. In fact, the love feasts still serve an important role for major religious
festivals; they are also held for occasions such as weddings, anniversaries,
funerals, ground-breakings for new buildings, and more.
Music was also an important part of the education of children. Moravians
valued education highly, for girls as well as boys; in fact, the first all-girls’ school
in the USA, called Linden Hall, was started in Lititz, PA by Moravians, and
continues to this day. Historically, the importance placed on education came
from the leader of the Unitas Fratrum, Bishop John Amos Comenius, during the
Thirty Years’ War. He was known world-wide for having progressive ideas on
education.
Moravians brought works of European composers of the day to the New
World, including Johann Stamitz and Franz Joseph Haydn, but there were
composers of music within the Moravian community as well. This music was
influenced by the German music tradition. Similar to the Singing School masters
of New England (which we will discuss), these composers were not professional
musicians, but most often were ministers. They wrote: 1) vocal music - chorales,
hymns and solo songs (for one singer plus and accompaniment); and 2)
instrumental music, notably chamber music - much music exists for choirs of
trombones. Ben Franklin went to a Moravian church, as reports: “I went to their
church, where I was entertained with good music, the organ being accompanied
with violins, hautboys (oboes), flutes, etc.”
John Antes (1740-1811), born in the New World, (a contemporary of
Haydn) is considered to be the first American composer born here, into a second
generation German Moravian family. He was educated at the Moravian Boys
School, and showed an aptitude for woodworking. He briefly was apprenticed
to a violin maker, and made a few instruments which are still in existence. He
also worked as a watch-maker! In fact, he did not actually compose music here;
in keeping with the missionary work of the Moravians, he traveled to Europe
and to Egypt, never to return to the U.S. He left there for Germany in 1765.
Antes at various times worked as a watchmaker, inventor, missionary,
businessman, and composer. In 1769 he became an ordained minister, and went
to Egypt until 1781, when he became ill and returned to England for the
remainder of his life. He did, however, write choral music intended for the use
of congregations in Nazareth and Bethlehem, PA.
The Moravians wrote the first instrumental music compositions in the
New World. Often the vocal choral music had accompaniment by small
orchestras of strings, woodwinds and/or brass instruments, as well as pipe
organ. Most of the Moravian music was religious, but some secular music exists
as well.

Trombone choir playing a hymn. A bit visually wobbly at first, but settles down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=50yJ3NDaI9M&list=TLPQMDMwMjIwMjAIQcab7KlgIA&index=4

John Antes, Go, congregation, go sung by Margaret Truman (daughter of president

Harry Truman) and the Robert Shaw Chorale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO9Rb4oVmjA

Antes, String trio in D minor https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=gWuZ0llcLug
Trombone choir: #s30 and 31 - Hymns (both short); and an example from #32 -
for forte piano, Rondo by John Gambold; and String Trio (flute playing one
violin part), Antes, Tr. 10 on CD #1; Naxos - Moravian Trombones – John Hus
Hymn.
Notes: Lost Music of Early America: Music of the Moravians - liner notes; American Music, A Panorama, Daniel
Kingman; Timetables of History, Bernard Grun; king.edu/Music Research/Antes/biography/htm