Is Sacred Music the Stepchild of Secular Music?

 

Is Sacred Music the Stepchild of Secular Music?

Many church musicians believe that traditional styles of church music started like rock music. We often hear stories that church music was first bar room tunes that were later ‘sanctified’ by church musicians. It is a little known fact among church musicians that until 1750, a great preponderance of all music composed was sacred music written specifically for the glory of God. As a matter of fact much of the religious music was written specifically for public worship.

It is shocking to me that so few church musicians are aware of the well-known fact that two species of music have existed since at least the time of Ancient Israel. One is sacred music and the other is secular music. Furthermore, from the Middle Ages until 1900, a specific type of church music existed. The bulk of this music was practical music to be used in regular church worship services. The remainder of the religious music was written in the same styles but was intended as religious concert music.