Music Appreciation - before the Middle Ages



Music Appreciation - before the Middle Ages

Beginning about 800 BC (before Christ) civilization was dominated by Greece

(then Babylon – 605-530 BC and then Persia – beginning 530 BC)

When the Greeks dominated the world they greatly influenced architecture, literature, education and music of the entire world for hundreds of years

555 BC – Pythagoras (Greek mathematician) discovered that musical sound vibrations could be measured mathematically and the differences between pitches could also be measure mathematically

350BC – 476 AD Rome conquered and ruled the world – also greatly influencing art, literature, education, and music

But before all of this – around 1200BC the small country of Israel was established in the middle east. The second king – King David came to power about 1000BC. David was a mighty warrior and a musician. David established music as a vital part of worship to God. He established choirs and orchestras in the temple. He wrote and preserved song lyrics (words) that glorified God. We still have many of these song lyrics today in out Bible – the book of Psalms.

Around 27 BC – Rome is now in power – an Israeli began walking around the country side (staying within the borders of Israel) teaching things about God that were new and in some cases radically different. A small group of men and women became his constant companions. By the time he was murdered 3 years later, his friends were convinced that he was God in human form – the Messiah – the Christ – Jesus. His friends continued to teach Jesus' philosophy and eventually this group grew and they were all forced to leave the Jewish church. They began to be called "Christians" and worshiped in much the same way as they did in their Jewish church – singing the Jewish songs they knew with many of the lyrics by King David.

Christians endured much persecution from the Jews and later from many other social groups until around 300AD when Constantine – Emperor of Rome saw a vision that he believed came from God. At that time he became a believer in 1 God and Jesus as the human form or son of God. For the first time ever, Christians were free to worship openly, build buildings to worship in, elect a leader of their church that they eventually called a Pope, had professional workers in their church (Bishops and priests), and had men and women dedicated their entire lives in seclusion to worshiping and serving God's church (nuns and monks)

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