The Bible in Music
A Dictionary of Songs, Works, and More
By (author) Siobhán Dowling Long, John F.A. Sawyer
Publication date:
03 September 2015Length of book:
372 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9780810884519
There have been numerous publications in the last decades on the Bible in literature, film, and art. But until now, no reference work has yet appeared on the Bible as it appears in Western music. In The Bible in Music: A Dictionary of Songs, Works, and More, scholars Siobhán Dowling Long and John F. A. Sawyer correct this gap in Biblical reference literature, providing for the first time a convenient guide to musical interpretations of the Bible. Alongside examples of classical music from the Middle Ages through modern times, Dowling Long and Sawyer also bring attention to the Bible’s impact on popular culture with numerous entries on hymns, spirituals, musicals, film music, and contemporary popular music.
Each entry contains essential information about the original context of the work (date, composer, etc.) and, where relevant, its afterlife in literature, film, politics, and liturgy. It includes an index of biblical references and an index of biblical names, as well as a detailed timeline that brings to the fore key events, works, and publications, placing them in their historical context. There is also a bibliography, a glossary of technical terms, and an index of artists, authors, and composers.
The Bible in Music will fascinate anyone familiar with the Bible, but it is also designed to encourage choirs, musicians, musicologists, lecturers, teachers, and students of music and religious education to discover and perform some less well-known pieces, as well as helping them to listen to familiar music with a fresh awareness of what it is about.
Each entry contains essential information about the original context of the work (date, composer, etc.) and, where relevant, its afterlife in literature, film, politics, and liturgy. It includes an index of biblical references and an index of biblical names, as well as a detailed timeline that brings to the fore key events, works, and publications, placing them in their historical context. There is also a bibliography, a glossary of technical terms, and an index of artists, authors, and composers.
The Bible in Music will fascinate anyone familiar with the Bible, but it is also designed to encourage choirs, musicians, musicologists, lecturers, teachers, and students of music and religious education to discover and perform some less well-known pieces, as well as helping them to listen to familiar music with a fresh awareness of what it is about.
This volume by Long and Sawyer presents annotated descriptions of classical (oratorios, operas, sonatas) and non-classical (musicals, hymns, spirituals, pop, rock music) music. . . .In this first publication to annotate descriptions of vocal and instrumental pieces with Biblical associations, the compilers paid special attention to works by women composers. . . .The dictionary, arranged alphabetically by title or first line, uses German, Latin, French, Italian, or Hebrew titles. Entries include title, date, composer, and a description to help readers locate music that references specific texts or topics. . . .The chronology presents key events, works, and publications, while the glossary lists basic terms and some world-music terminology. The ‘Index of Biblical Names and Subjects’ and ‘Index to Biblical References’ (including the Apocrypha) prove quite useful. . . .Choir directors and vocal students will appreciate the descriptions presented. Summing Up: Recommended. Students at all levels; professionals/practitioners; general readers.