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Musical Spirits and Powerful Voices: On the Origins of Song

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 December 2018

Bernd Brabec de Mori
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Extract

In present times, it may be surprising to see the word “origins” in the title of an ethnomusicological article. Reviewing historical and current hypotheses on the origins of song, or music more generally, it becomes apparent that most authors interpret a possible bifurcation between (spoken) language and (sung) music as the most plausible point from which “music” evolved. Curt Sachs states polemically, “Music began with singing” (1943:21). Such statements beg questions about the definition of music, not just origins. I will, however, forgo such questions in this article, concentrating instead on the prehistoric and contemporary fluidity between speech and song. I understand these terms as poles on a continuum, ranging from everyday fugitive speech to formalized speech (such as invocations, recitations, chanting) and, finally, to song. In this article, I suggest that seeking to understand the moment in which this bifurcation, or rather spreading out, of utterances occurred is a productive task. Understanding the differences between speech and song is a starting point for unpacking how these distinct phenomena emerged. Alternatively, thinking about those prehistoric times when speech and song emerged may support insights about modern meaning and the function of utterances that occupy a liminal space between speech and song.

Type
Speech, Song, and in-Between
Information
Yearbook for Traditional Music , Volume 49 , 2017 , pp. 114 - 128
Copyright
Copyright © 2017 By The International Council for Traditional Music

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