Before 1936, musical practices in Palestine relied heavily on colloquial poetry, especially in rural communities, which constituted most of the population. During the first half of the twentieth... Show moreBefore 1936, musical practices in Palestine relied heavily on colloquial poetry, especially in rural communities, which constituted most of the population. During the first half of the twentieth century, Palestinian music evolved as a reflection of the social, cultural, and political evolution of Palestinians. Palestinian music-making evolved exponentially resulting in the expansion of various folk tunes into shaʿbī songs, the creation of the Palestinian qaṣīda song genre, new compositions of instrumental music for traditional and Western music formations, the establishment of choirs and children music programing, and active engagement in composing in the styles of the dominant Egyptian genres of the time as well as muwashshaḥāt.In 1948, the vast majority of Palestinians were displaced, and musicians found themselves at the frontier of implementing new political and cultural visions in the countries of Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq. Therefore, the continuation of the musical narrative in the West Bank did not seem attainable. By the early 1950s, Palestinian musicians and intellectuals developed a vocabulary that reflected the topography, scenery, culture, dialects, and history of al-Mashriq, one that is independent of Egypt’s. Their input, intuition, experience, and convictions of various Palestinian musicians helped to make the music scene in Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan what they are today. Show less
The objective of this socio-historical study is to contribute to a better and fuller insight in the development of Curaçao society in the twentieth century. The question that lies at the heart of... Show moreThe objective of this socio-historical study is to contribute to a better and fuller insight in the development of Curaçao society in the twentieth century. The question that lies at the heart of this study was: What was the influence of the Catholic Church in the development of Curaçao society in the period in which this society was strongly in the process of industrialization and modernization and that subsequently made the transition to democracy, self-government and therewith to citizenship? A considerable part of this study is based on literature and archival research, conducted in both Curaçao and the Netherlands, supplemented with the analysis of existing oral history material and the execution of targeted additional interviews. These additional interviews were conducted for greater knowledge and to illustrate, substantiate or clarify a specific situation. The study focuses on the development of society and therein specifically on the position of the Catholic, predominantly Afro-Curaçaoan, population. Show less
On 30 December 1846 Samuel Gobat (1799-1879) arrived in Jerusalem. This was the start of almost thirty-five years in office as bishop of the Protestant bishopric in Jerusalem. Throughout his... Show moreOn 30 December 1846 Samuel Gobat (1799-1879) arrived in Jerusalem. This was the start of almost thirty-five years in office as bishop of the Protestant bishopric in Jerusalem. Throughout his episcopate Gobat closely cooperated with the missionaries of the Church Missionary Society (CMS), who were on the same wavelength in their missionary activities and objective: the evangelization of Christians from other churches. Gobat and the CMS missionaries had a shared background in the intercontinental Evangelical movement. Evangelicalism strongly influenced their missionary work, expectations and the way they perceived the other churches. Their writings contain many manifestations of their Evangelical principles regarding their work in the mission field and reflect a strong rivalry with the other denominations. Their accounts are interspersed with criticism of the other churches in Palestine. This constant censuring of the other churches and the efforts to make converts among their members resulted in conflicts ranging from small wrangles to terrible riots. The missionaries__ Evangelicalism and the rivalry they felt were inextricably bound up with each other. This book concentrates on both the influence of the Evangelical principles on the missionary efforts of Gobat and the CMS missionaries, and the competition they experienced with the other churches. Show less