What Kind of Music Did Charles and John Wesley Use? Part 2

What Kind of Music Did Charles and John Wesley Use? Part 2

          The Wesleys did use secular music with their hymns on some occasions.  However, there is not a shred of evidence that they used melodies that had been created as concomitants to sensual songs used in the taverns in England.  By the term “secular” I simply mean that this music was not originally composed as a concomitant to a sacred text. I do not mean that the Wesley’s used music that was originally “anti- Christ” in its original enactment.  Surely twenty first century Christian musicians should understand that the Wesleys were very aware of some secular music’s association with bawdy themes and the ribald manner in which they were often used in taverns in England.

          There is absolutely no scholarly basis for the notion that they used such music with the hymns they used in public worship. I would also like to point out at this point in this short discussion that, bases on what is now known about the secular music they used, there was absolutely no contradistinction of style between the secular melodies that the Wesleys used and other melodies that were written especially for use with their hymns.  This certainly could not be said of many of the tunes and the styles of music that was often used in the late twentieth century and now in this century to accompany religious music.

Quote for the Day

“Whether Wesley did or didn't use drinking songs is not really the issue. Rather, the issue is why Wesley did or didn't use them. Wesley found the close association of hymn text and tune (even commonly referred to as a "wedding") to be of such importance that the use of tavern songs was beneath consideration. It was never a possibility.”  http://www.umcdiscipleship.org