Martin Luther was as deeply defined by his emotions as he was by his learnedness; when convinced, he was convinced unreservedly. This can help to explain how the fun-loving student in Erfurt was transformed into an deeply ascetic monk who, outraged by the hypocrisy of the Church of his time, ended up inadvertently giving rise to the Reformation. It explains, too, how he then came to toss asceticism aside to draw upon all of the senses – and especially the power of music – to spread religious tenets amongst the population. In contrast to many of his fellow reformers, he did not make use of Germanised Gregorian chants, but instead put new lyrics to popular melodies, both well-known and novel. Thus “popular songs, riders’ songs, and mountain tunes made more Christian and moral” were put to use in serving the Reformation. It certainly helped that Luther was a talented lute player and well versed in the art of counterpoint. His close relationships with Ludwig Senfl and Johann Walter were equally beneficial. He served as a model for countless writers of songs and shaped Protestantism’s demotic choral tradition.
By rescuing once well-known hymns from the murky waters of the past, The Playfords reveal the cheerful, dance-like character of these church songs, an aspect far too often neglected. In doing so, they bring back to life those “wicked and vexing ways in which those unprofitable and shameful little ditties of the streets, fields, homes and elsewhere are sung”.