The Conchshell Band as Preserver of German and Papua New Guinean Lutheran Traditions
| Author(s) | Niles, Don |
|---|---|
| Title | The Conchshell Band as Preserver of German and Papua New Guinean Lutheran Traditions |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Language | eng |
| Number of Pages | 16 |
| Location | Papua New Guinea |
| Relevance to ICH Safeguarding | documentation education transmission |
| ICH Genre | performing arts: music worldview |
| Name of the ICH Element | Conchshell band |
| Keywords | Lutheran church |
| Description | European Christian missionaries entering PNG at the end of the 19th century expected their converts to learn to sing European hymns properly. However, the results were often less than desired. German Lutheran missionaries, particularly Heinrich Zahn, greatly improved such singing through the innovative use of a traditional instrument: the conchshell trumpet. Although traditionally played singly, for the multipart textures of European hymns, it was played in an ensemble, with each shell producing one pitch. Today, amidst a phenomenal transformation to a hymnody largely based on PNG music, the conchshell band preserves German Lutheran hymnody. |
| Book/Journal Title | The World of Music |
| Publisher | University of Bamberg |
| Place of Publication | Bamberg |
| Date of Publication | 1998 |
| Volume | 40 |
| Pages | 53-68 |
| ISBN | 0043-8774 |
| Academic Field | ethnomusicology anthropology |
| Community/Ethnic Group | Jabêm Morobe |
| Contributor | Papua New Guinea National Cultural Commission |
| Active Contribution | Papua New Guinea, FY 2024 |
| Data Collection Project | |