For God and His angels or men at their tables?: the context and usage of psalm-singing in francophone Calvinism, 1539-1565

For God and His angels or men at their tables?: the context and usage of psalm-singing in francophone Calvinism, 1539-1565 Public Deposited

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Creator

Busman, Joshua K.
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Music

Abstract

The Genevan Psalter, completed under John Calvin's supervision during the middle decades of the sixteenth century, is arguably one of the greatest achievements in the history of Christian hymnody. From its first Strasbourg publication in 1539 to the complete Genevan psalter of 1562, these simple, vernacular settings of Biblical psalms represent an important and influential body of musical materials, both in the history of Protestantism and in the history of French music writ large. Unfortunately, much of the discussion surrounding the Calvinist tradition of music-making assumes an austere, anti- musical stance that is often (mis)associated with John Calvin's theology. By exploring the intellectual context of Calvin's work as well as comparing a variety of musical settings of one of the most popular metrical psalms (Psalm 9), I hope to present a more complex picture of Calvin and Calvinist musical practice in France in the sixteenth century.

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