Worship Music

The history of Western music is intimately tied to the worship of Christians and Jews. It was the Church and synagogue that provided the context for the development of Gregorian chant, the motet, the cantana, and virtually every important theorist, composer, and performer from Ambrose to Zwingli. Worship Music provides concise information on the people, terms, places, and elements of this worship.

Ecumenical in scope and cross-cultural in its perspective, Worship Music focuses on the worship music of English-speaking North Americans. Its over 2,500 entries range across every major denomination within Western Christianity, the Byzantine/Slav tradition, and Judaism.

Over 60 contributors represent the traditions addressed in the dictionary, providing authenticity in representing the tradition and an insider's perspective on contemporary practices. The dictionary is shaped through the lens of "ritual music which focuses on the function of music in worship (or asks the question of the function of music in worship. It includes brief descriptions, histories, and explanations of musical-liturgical terms and personnel. Bibliographies and extensive cross-referencing can be found throughout the volume.

Designed not just for pastoral musicians but all musicians—amateurs, students and professionals—as well as liturgists, Worship Music is an indispensable guide to the musical aspects of worship.

Edward Foley, Capuchin, is professor of liturgy and music at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He is the author of numerous books including Foundations of Christian Music and Music and the Eucharistic Prayer from the American Essays in Liturgy series for which he is the editor.