David's harp : the story of music in Biblical times / Alfred Sendrey & Mildred Norton.
| Author/creator | Sendrey, Alfred |
| Other author | Norton, Mildred, author. |
| Format | Book |
| Publication Info | [New York] : New American Library, 1964. |
| Description | 272 pages : illustrations, music ; 22 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | In the days of the patriarchs -- The promised land -- Music during the commonwealth -- The star of David -- The ark comes to Jerusalem -- The temple of Solomon -- Organization of temple music -- The sacred Psalms -- The character of Hebrew music -- The enigma of the Psalm headings -- Music and the harvest festivals -- Music in secular life -- The musical instruments of ancient Israel -- The struggle against apostasy -- Two music-loving monarchs -- By the waters of Babylon -- Restoring an ancient homeland -- A musical renaissance in Judah -- Women's role in ancient Hebrew music -- Music and superstition -- The dance in ancient Israel -- Peace under Persian rule -- Spread of Hellenistic influence -- Disaster under Roman rule -- The Hebrew Psalms in Christian liturgy. |
| Abstract | From the beginning the Jews were allowed no graven images. Their deep creative impulses found expression in poetry and song--in a musical tradition that was not only to enrich ancient Israel but all civilization for the next four thousand years. The first popular treatment of the music of biblical times, this book is a work of scholarship that chronicles the history of the Jews through a record of their singular art. Here, for the first time, are full descriptions of the origins, forms, and instrumentation of Hebrew music set in a dramatic narrative of the people who created it. Drawing upon recent archeological discoveries and their own biblical research, the authors achieve dynamic portraits of Hebrew monarchs, as well as unique accounts of such hereditary guilds as the Temple singers--a group that staged the first recorded strike in history. The book presents a vibrant picture of the rustic and the urban Jews celebrating their festivals and expressing their sentiments in an uninhibited secular music. It describes the sacred liturgy, performed only by the Levites; and it offers a thoroughly engrossing account of the shofar, the ram's horn of Abraham, which is the only ancient Hebrew instrument that has survived unchanged to modern times. The authors bring their story to a dramatic conclusion with a discussion of the common musical legacy shared by the two great faiths of the Western world. They show how the sacred liturgy of the Christians and of the Jews--for example plainchant and the songs of the Patriarchs--developed from the same source: the music of ancient Israel. Interspersed with the song and psalm that have come down to us through the centuries, this book is a provocative work rich in originality and discovery. Layman and musician alike will find it a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience--one that adds a new dimension to the understanding of biblical culture and of the imperishable music that is the mutual heritage of the Judeo-Christian world. |
| General note | "An NAL-world book." |
| General note | Sponsored by the Jewish Heritage Foundation. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-276). |
| LCCN | 64024526 |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Closed Stacks - Ask at Circulation Desk | ML166.S45 D3 1964 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |