What Kind of Music Did Charles and John Wesley Use? Part 1

What Kind of Music Did Charles and John Wesley Use? Part 1

            What kind of melodies, rhythms and harmonies did Charles and John Wesley use to accompany their hymns?  A multitude of twentieth century authors who were Christians and others who were non-believers jumped to conclusions about the use of drinking and barroom music by the Wesley’s.  In an article titled Debunking the Wesley Tavern Song Myth Dean McIntyre very succinctly, in six short explanations, puts to rest that silliness that the Wesleys used tavern or saloon song tunes with their hymns. (See:http://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/debunking-the-wesley-tavern-song-myth)

            In Mclntyre’s article he also quells another myth about the Wesley’s music.  “The oft-repeated legend results from some poor, misinformed person who confused the medieval literary bar form, also sometimes known as “bar tune”, with songs commonly used in taverns in England.  “Once spoken out of ignorance, the confused version took on a life of its own and seemingly grows with each repetition.” (ibid.)  An explanation of Bar Form is as follows:  Bar “In music, the structural pattern aab as used by the medieval German minnesingers and meistersingers, who were poet-composers of secular monophonic songs (i.e., those having a single line of melody). The modern term Bar form derives from a medieval verse form, the Bar, consisting of three stanzas, each having the form aab. The musical term thus refers to the melody of a single stanza, the a sections (called Stollen) having the same melody, and the b section (Abgesang) having a different melody.”  (http://www.britannica.com/art/Bar-form)

            I am amazed that in this century Christian writers continue to make unfounded assertions such as the erroneous “Bar Tune” notion.  Surely a writer should think twice before jumping to conclusions based on a misguided musician’s notions, if he or she has any desire to be credible.  There is a vast difference between “Bar Form” and “Bar Tune”.  Frankly, this type of musical ignorance is perpetuated most often by church musicians who do not have an understanding of the history of Western music or the history of church music.  In their misguided, misinformed zeal they grasp at false notions and half-truths when they are trying to justify some particular style or styles of music in public worship musicing.  Intellectual honesty in the writings of Christian musicians is an absolute must if a Christian’s music philosophy is going to be credible in this enlightened century.