Amish music

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Amish music is primarily German in origin, and includes ancient singing styles not found anywhere in Europe, as well as modern hymns derived from the Pennsylvania German culture.

Older Amish hymns are monophonic, without meter, featuring drawn-out tones and slowly-articulated ornamentation. Usually there is no harmony in the music. Pennsylvania spirituals are more modern, and include a wide variety of influences from African American and British music.

Although a few Amish learn to play traditional instruments, such as the harmonica or the accordion, instruments are not played in public. Thus, singing is usually unaccompanied. In church, singing is in German, but singing outside of church is sung in English. Singing is a major part of Amish churches and some songs take over fifteen minutes to sing. A song called Loblied is a well known Amish song. It is always the second song sung at an Amish church service and is often sung at Amish weddings.

"Sings" or "Singings," attended by young people approaching marriage-age, and usually held in barns on the Sunday evening after a worship service, are an essential element in Amish courting practices.