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Science, theology and the simplicity of chant: Victorian musicology at war

Zon, Bennett

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Abstract

There were two kinds of chant in Victorian Britain - one theological, the other scientific: Gregorian chant, the traditional music of the church; and primitive chant, the earliest human music. Because of their rudimentary nature Victorians described them as 'simple'. This essay explores how science and theology used simplicity to help define themselves through chant. It begins with an exploration of the 'war' between the two disciplines; then examines the meaning each discipline ascribes to simplicity and chant; and concludes with a reflection on the nature of their 'peace' and its implications for the history of musicology.

Citation

Zon, B. (2014). Science, theology and the simplicity of chant: Victorian musicology at war. Journal of the History of Ideas, 75(3), 439-469. https://doi.org/10.1353/jhi.2014.0019

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Jul 31, 2014
Publication Date Jul 1, 2014
Deposit Date Nov 6, 2014
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Journal of the History of Ideas
Print ISSN 0022-5037
Electronic ISSN 1086-3222
Publisher University of Pennsylvania Press (Penn Press)
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 75
Issue 3
Pages 439-469
DOI https://doi.org/10.1353/jhi.2014.0019

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Copyright Statement
Copyright © by Journal of the History of Ideas, Volume 75, Number 3 (July 2014) All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations used for purposes of scholarly citation, none of this work may be reproduced in any form by any means without written permission from the publisher. For information address the University of Pennsylvania Press, 3905 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-4112.




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