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The Moravian Church in the United States

Jan Hus

The Moravian Church, also known as Unitas Fratrem (Unity of Brethren) traces its beginnings to followers of the Czech priest, Jan Hus, in the 15th century.

1576 Czech Hymnal of the Unitas Fratrem

In Moravian communities, life centered around worship. Services were held every day, in which hymn singing was an important part.

Home Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, N.C.

The European Moravians sent their first missionaries to America in 1735. Permanent settlements were established in Pennsylvania in the 1740s and North Carolina in the 1750s.

The music of the American Moravian Church in its first century (1740 - 1840) was significantly different from the Psalm singing and fuging tunes found in typical American churches during this time.

Moravian settlers sang concerted anthems and arias composed by, and modeled after the choral works of major Central European composers of the time. Music of J.S. Bach and his sons, Haydn, Stamitz, and others was popular, and the colonial Moravians produced their own American Baroque and Classical music This chorus, “O Sing all ye redeemed,” was written by Georg Mueller in Pennsylvania (1762-1821).

The American Moravians maintained close contact with their European colleagues, and were dedicated to collecting and sharing the music that was the center of their religious life.

One source commented "Moravians seemed to have a voracious appetite for new music, and collected, purchased, or copied everything they could get their hands on.“ (Crews, Villages of the Lord)

Many arias and choruses were orchestrated with string and brass instruments in the 18th century.

Natural (valveless) trumpets and horns (heard here) were imported from Europe, and the trombone choir became a ubiquitous feature of Moravian music.

Natural trumpet 18th century Natural horn

In the early 19th century, valved brass instruments as well as woodwinds were used in Moravian bands and orchestras, keeping pace with the developments in Europe.

Brass ensembles have been used by Moravians since their earliest days, especially for outside services and funerals. Brass ensembles and trombone choirs are found in most congregations today, and the tradition of playing outdoors remains, especially on Easter Sunday.

The most characteristic indoor service in the Moravian Church was the Singstunde, or singing hour, which was literally a sermon entirely in song.

The theme for the service was not announced; instead it was developed by singing individual verses and stanzas of various hymns.

The congregation members, who knew the hymnal by heart, would join in the singing after hearing the first few notes. Even children stayed engaged, trying to guess the theme (perhaps “Brotherly Love," or “Unity.")

Another type of service, the Love Feast, is described in Martin Pearlman's discussion of his album "Lost Music of Early America: Music of the Moravians." The music is performed by Boston Baroque on period instruments, such as those used in the early settlements.