Church Music

ur own days, and still shows no signs of abating. At the Council of Laodicea (circa A.d. 360) it was prescribed that only those duly appointed should sing in Christian Churches.1 39. We now come to a great name which stands out prominently in relation to early Church music?that of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan (a.d. 374-397), with whom may be said to have commenced the period of ecclesiastical music, regarded as a regulated system. He collected and set in order certain scales upon which music should be based, naming them after the old Greek scales (though it is to be noted that they differed from these in all respects other than in name). These scales remained in use for several centuries, and from them was developed what is known as the Gregorian system. 40. St. Augustine on hearing the Milanese music was greatly affected. He writes : " Quan- i Canon 15: " irepl Tov Seiv irtov Tuv KavovucSiv j/arwv Twv tVi 7 oc unfiwiKi. iwajiaivnviutii Ku.i dm) 3ttpOt/c!.$ //a6muv crt'/raus vivas l/deiv tv fc/cXT/irif." See note, p. 47. turn flevi in hymnis et canticis tuis, suave sonantis ecclesise tuae vocibus commotus acriter! Voces illae influebant auribus meis et eliquabatur veritas tua in cor meum, et exaestuabat inde affectus pietatis; et currebant lacrimae, et bene mihi erat cum eis " (Confessions, ix. 6). 41. Some of the early fathers relate that the Gentiles were frequently attracted into the Church by the music, who liked its ceremonies so well that they w... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.