Acoustical requirements for music in non-Western worship spaces

Abstract

In this talk, an overview of different non-Western musical traditions for worship, and the particular architectural-acoustic requirements of these traditions, will be given. While the pipe organ, which plays a central role in the Christian and Jewish worship traditions, is rarely found in other religious services, the other two typical western worship instruments, choir and bells, serve in many other worship traditions as well. Brass instruments also are found in both Western and non-Western worship traditions, for example in the typical church brass ensembles with trumpets, trombones, horns, and tubas, and the long Tibetan temple trumpets. Percussion instruments, such as those in the Indonesian Gamelan Ensemble, are often an important element in non-Western rituals. However, aside from bells, they do not have a strong tradition in Western worship services, which is not surprising given the long reverberation times in most churches. The talk will focus on those worship traditions that are not addressed by other speakers in this session.