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“The Old Vexed Question:” Divergent Attitudes and Practices in the Sacred Music of Early Ballarat
Author(s) -
DOGGETT ANNE
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of religious history
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.117
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 1467-9809
pISSN - 0022-4227
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9809.2009.00822.x
Subject(s) - worship , diversity (politics) , musical , aesthetics , perception , sociology , traditional music , function (biology) , history , gender studies , literature , art , anthropology , law , political science , epistemology , philosophy , biology , evolutionary biology
When gold was discovered at Ballarat in 1851, the peaceful pastoral community was transformed into a rough mining camp. People from all parts of the world came in search of wealth, bringing with them a diversity of cultural and spiritual affiliations. As the musical life of the various denominational groups developed according to specific doctrinal principles and local influences, strong opinions were expressed in the community regarding the place of music in worship. This article looks at the developments in sacred music during the two decades that saw Ballarat transformed into a major city. The strong differences in discourse and practice that were evident between and within particular religious groups form a background for reflecting upon contemporary perceptions of the function of music in worship.