The Importance of Psalms and Accompaniment from Ancient Times through the Protestant Reformation with Special Emphasis on Psalmody in the Dutch Reformed Tradition

Abstract

Throughout the history of Christian worship, the psalmody has remained central to congregations as a means of worship across religious, denominational, and cultural divides—from the use of psalms in ancient Judeo-Christian worship, to the manifestation of the Catholic Church, and through the Protestant Reformation. The banning of organ music in the new Calvinist Church of the sixteenth century, particularly in the Netherlands, provides a study of the importance of psalmody and, even more particularly, the necessity of organ accompaniment as means of enabling congregational worship. An examination of the vital Dutch organ and keyboard composers and works of the era allows for an understanding of how the organ as musical accompaniment became so central to psalmody, and alludes to its potential for continued benefits for Christian congregations around the globe as a way of uniting cross-cultural denominations.