Jeffrey Tucker points us to a new book on the history of music in the church in the middle ages:This book is an absolute inspiration. I feel profound gratitude to the author. It is readable and not merely an academic work. The prose is elegant and warm. The "apparatus" in the back is just about beyond belief. It is filled with color illustrations. It's beyond me how Yale University can make this book available for only $35 or so. My quick glance through it (I've spent several hours) reveals so much fascinating information. I had not known just how much Christian chant owes to Jewish temple worship. I had not understood how much Gregorian chant owes to Rome. I had not seen how much influence trade and commerce had to do with spreading the chant. I had not entirely understood the driving force behind the 9th century attempts to notate the chants. It's obvious to me that this is just the beginning. There are worlds of information in this 700-page treatise.
John Howell says