“That Hart May Sing in Corde:” Defense of Church Music in the Psalm Paraphrases of Matthew Parker

Sonja G Wermager

doi:10.17132/2377-231x.1161

Abstract

Translation of sacred texts is always a dangerous act. In the sixteenth century, translators of the Bible into vernacular languages faced persecution and even execution for their perceived heresy. Nevertheless, when Archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker (1504-1575) published his poetic paraphrases of the biblical psalms, for which Thomas Tallis wrote the corresponding psalm tunes, Parker joined a growing number of scholars and clerics risking the translation of scripture under the aegis of the Protestant Reformation. In his paraphrases Parker carefully negotiated between strict translation and poetic interpretation of the text, particularly in regards to musical themes. I argue that in his psalm paraphrases, Parker advanced a musico-theological justification for the inclusion of music in liturgy during an era when vocal polyphony and instrumental music in sacred settings fomented the suspicion of many proto-Puritan Protestant reformers. Comparison of the printed 1567 text with Parker’s original manuscript held at the Inner Temple Library in London reveals that Parker often chose explicitly musical terms in his paraphrases of the psalms. In doing so, he provided foundational justification for establishing a central role for music in Anglican liturgy, harnessing all the tools of his humanist training and the power of his position to advance his conviction that music, far from distracting congregants, enriched and uplifted them spiritually. Drawing on recent scholarship on the genre of metrical psalmody, I demonstrate how Parker’s art of paraphrase facilitated his multifaceted defense of church music in the face of increasingly hostile factions within the English Protestant Church.

Highlights

Follow this and additional works at: https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/yjmr Part of the History of Christianity Commons, History of Religion Commons, Musicology Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons
In a 1564 letter to the English statesman William Cecil, Archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker proudly reported on his recent reception of a delegation of French ambassadors, describing to Cecil how the visitors “seemed to be glad, that in ministration of our Common Prayer and Sacraments we use such reverent mediocrity, and that we did not expel musik out of our quires, telling them that our musik drowned not the principal regard of our prayers.”[1]. The celebration of mediocrity might seem surprising to the modern-day reader, but Parker wrote at a time when “mediocrity” meant not averageness, but rather moderation.[2]
As one of the chief architects of the Elizabethan Settlement, Parker used the power of his position, sometimes forcefully, to ensure moderation, balance, and harmony in all aspects of ecclesiastical practice, including music in the liturgy

Summary

Sonja Wermager

In a 1564 letter to the English statesman William Cecil, Archbishop of Canterbury Matthew Parker proudly reported on his recent reception of a delegation of French ambassadors, describing to Cecil how the visitors “seemed to be glad, that in ministration of our Common Prayer and Sacraments we use such reverent mediocrity, and that we did not expel musik out of our quires, telling them that our musik drowned not the principal regard of our prayers.”[1]. As one of the leading figures in Elizabethan England, Parker has received substantial scholarly attention Analyses of his involvement in musical questions tend to focus on his policy rather than theology. This study seeks to explore the theological impetus underpinning Parker’s musical policy as archbishop. From where did his commitment to music originate? The archbishop provided foundational justification for establishing a central role for music in Anglican liturgy, harnessing all the tools of his humanist training and the authority of his position to offer a model for personal and communal devotion that celebrated music’s ability to spiritually enrich while simultaneously warning against its misuse

Reformation Psalms

The whole Psalter translated into English metre