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Congregational song flourished in part due to increasing literacy and the publication of hymn books. Chorales remained popular due to their:
The congregation, with the choir’s support, participated in singing hymns in unison. Gradually, the organ was used to introduce and to accompany the hymns. The 17th Century was a period of many related, yet conflicting, influences and trends. For this reason, it is difficult to trace one direct line in the development of congregational song. The traditional chorale of the 16th Century still was quite popular due to its melodic and textual quality, emphasis on the core aspects of the faith, compatibility with the liturgy, and suitability to artistic enrichment. The passage of time and changes in the taste and spiritual needs of congregations diminished it somewhat. Preachers encouraged the use of the chorale because it expressed Lutheran doctrine so well. Congregations enjoyed singing the sturdy melodies, and musicians found it to be a rich source of compositional building material. The invigorating work of Michael Praetorius and other composers supported the chorale through an outpouring of settings that were creative, stimulating, and artistically satisfying. Other influences didn’t favor the chorale. Diminished church music leadership during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) hindered congregational singing. Choirs were depleted and instrumentalists couldn’t be adequately supported by the church. The war and concurrent famine and plague caused change in the needs of the people. It resulted in an increased emphasis on hymns with themes of death, comfort of the bereaved, and eternal life. The movement called Pietism, codified in Philip. J. Spener’s Pia desideria (1675), called for:
Though the movement, which favored personal piety over traditional ritual worship, did not take full shape until the last quarter of the century, its roots were found early in the century due to the war and its aftermath.
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