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Prelude to a Comparative Investigation of Protestant Hymnody in Polynesia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2019

Extract

Christian hymn-singing plays a prominent role in the daily life of many Pacific Island societies, and hymnody is acknowledged as a major historical influence on present-day Westernized music traditions. However, both contemporary performance practices and the historical foundations of Christian hymnody in the Pacific Islands1 remain little-documented, and, for the most part, neglected by ethnomusicologists. Contemporary traditions of hymnody in the Pacific Islands can be characterized as being diverse. The diversity is striking, considering the homogeneity of Western hymnody initially introduced by British and American missionaries throughout the region over a century ago. However, over time, different musical practices were used by missionaries and islanders in different locales. Therefore, any understanding of contemporary hymn-singing traditions must be placed in historical, as well as ethnographic, contexts.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 by the International Council for Traditional Music

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