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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

hiva usu, sacred choral music, Tonga, Christianity

College

Fine Arts and Communications

Department

Music

Abstract

Protestant missionaries from England first set foot in Tonga in the early 19th century. Along with a radically new theology, they brought with them a musical style rooted in Western European tradition. Tongans whole-heartedly embraced Christianity and eagerly integrated elements of European culture into their own – both in a religious and in a musical sense. This combining of cultures resulted in a unique style of hymn singing that blended Western tonality and form with traditional Tongan musical practices. At first, only hymns from the official church hymnal were sung. As the style’s popularity spread, native Tongans began composing their own hymns, incorporating elements of traditional Tongan life into the text.

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