CANTIONAL

Simple, four-voicehomophonicarrangement of achorale, with the chorale melody in the soprano voice, not the tenor as had been traditional withpolyphonicGermanLieder. The earliest collection is Lucas Osiander’sFünftzig geistliche Lieder und Psalmen(Nuremburg, 1586).

Also, askancionál, the Czech term for a book of sacred songs deriving from a tradition ofcongregationalsinging arising during Hussite influence in the 15th century, whence it passed to the Bohemian Brethren, who in turn brought the tradition to America.