Music is far more ancient than mortals. Angels rendered melodies praising God centuries before mankind considered it a source of harmonious sound.
Music history. Early music history, similar to many other accomplishments accredited to mortals, is wrapped in much obscurity. The use of handwritten letters preceded by many centuries the discovery of musical notes. As to musical instruments, undoubtedly the percussion came first, followed by wind instruments and stringed instruments.
Legend relates that percussion instruments came into existence via the blacksmith hammering. Older blacksmiths often employed four different hammer – 6, 8, 9 and 12 pounds in weight. An observer suspended four different ropes of equal lengths and thickness, attached weights of equal proportions as the hammers – these rendered the same quality of notes as the hammers sounded. The results were the fourth, fifth and octave notes.
In China. As to notes, the Chinese may have been among the first to render such to music. The lowest was termed “Koung”, or the Emperor. This was the foundation upon which all notes were devised.
Of course the court of national advisors was not to be slighted. The second note was “Tschang”, the Prime Minister. Then came the public, the fourth note, followed by “Mirror of Heaven”, designated as No. 5.
A historically-recorded piece of music employed several voices, an English four men’s song – Summer is-i-comen in”. This was written around 1240, this now resides in the British Museum.
England may be considered one of the earliest in written song form; as early as 1185. Although the Britons did not sing in unison as other nations did, their music was unusual. When a company of singers met to sing, several different parts were sung at the same time.
The power of music to sway and effect a person is well known and employed every day, even 24 hours a day. Prose writers have been inspired by melodies proving music is a vocal uniformity.
Music renders a personality, wings to mind and thought, flight to the imagination, a stimulant to sadness and amiability to life and all of God’s creation.
God-given. Music is an art God gave to our voices with which a people and nations may unite their prayers in one harmonious rhythm. Music is a type of inarticulate, unfathomable speech utterance which may lead one and all of us to the gates of the infinite and permits a mere mortal a few moments of a glimpse of it.
From early ages, song has also been a companion to labor from the coarse chant of boatmen, the harmonious utterances of a chain gang or a soft melody of a herdsman.
Every trade, every occupation, every enterprise and endeavor, every scene of life has always possessed its own special rhythm and music. Music is after all a joy for all.
Perhaps as it has often accomplished in human history, it will continue to be a comfort, solace and a soothing blessing that God has given us.
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