The 18th and 19th century Moravians considered music as a necessity of life. Many Moravian clergy and lay people were well trained in music, and thus came to the New World fully conversant with the taste and practice of European classicism. In Moravian life there was no distinction between what we now call "sacred" and "secular", nor between what part of life is musical and what is not. Each person's gifts were used for the benefit of the entire community. While there was little emphasis given to music as a distinct profession -- many of the composers were also teachers and pastors -- music was an essential part of everyone's education and daily life.

Of the music which was written by Moravian composers, by far the greater portion is what today is called "sacred" -- anthems and solos for liturgical use. These all share one primary characteristic: the text is of overmastering importance. This does not mean that the music is insignificant, but rather only that the music serves to carry the text.

Throughout the history of the Moravian Church, instruments have been used consistently in worship. The Moravian settlers brought with them the concept of the Collegium musicum, the German tradition of amateur musical organizations which played both "sacred" and "secular" music. Instruments came to America early with the Moravians; by 1742 Bethlehem had flutes, violins, violas da braccio, violas da gamba, and horns. By 1788 the Salem Collegium musicum was proud to have at least three violins, a viola, a 'cello, flute, two horns, and two trumpets! These instruments were played not by "professionals" but by accomplished amateurs, who enjoyed orchestral and chamber music as well as accompanying vocal solos and anthems for worship.

There are a number of instrumental pieces by Moravian composers, but the far greater portion of the instrumental works in Moravian collections were not written by Moravians. The sheer volume of instrumental music in the collections, however, gives the lie to any thought that the Moravians disliked instrumental music. The Bethlehem Collegium musicum was formed in 1744, for the twofold purpose of the edification of the players and the improvement of the community's church music. This group finally began to thrive after the arrival in 1761 of Jeremias Dencke and Immanuel Nitschmann from Germany. By the time they left Germany, orchestrally-accompanied church music was being used extensively in Europe and gaining in popularity among the Moravian congregations there. It is likely that these two men brought this greater emphasis with them to America.

The Moravians made specific use of wind instruments to perform on a number of outdoor occasions. Wind music in the Moravian tradition has consisted of two basic types: the trombone choir, which Harry Hall refers to as "the ecclesiastical ensemble", and "secular" ensembles -- chamber groups and bands. Brass (or trombone) choirs were often used, especially outdoors, to announce special services and events; to welcome visitors; and to accompany singing at outdoor services such as the Easter Dawn service and at funerals.

The trombone choir name itself is sometimes misleading. Although there remain several groups which consist only of trombones (in Winston-Salem, NC, Bethlehem, PA, Madison, WI, and Downey, CA, among others), this name is sometimes also used for ensembles which contain other brass instruments as well. This "ecclesiastical ensemble" plays still today for outdoor services, including funerals. Most memorable is the participation of these groups at Easter for the dawn service. In Winston-Salem the Easter Band numbers up to 500 musicians. Many of these "church bands" consist now not only of brass instruments, but of nearly all woodwind instruments as well. Men and women play together, of all ages, from the very young to the very old.

"Secular" groups -- chamber ensembles and concert bands -- developed from the Collegia musica along a parallel stream to the "trombone choirs". While the trombone choirs and church bands focus their attention primarily on chorales, the community bands and chamber ensembles play primarily what we would now call "secular" music -- chamber music, marches, dances, arrangements of popular music of various sorts. These groups provide not only entertainment for player and audience alike but also enable the players to improve through playing more challenging music.

By the 1780's the Bethlehem Collegium musicum was playing the music of the best composers of the day -- Bach's sons, Hasse, Stamitz, Haydn, and many others, now lesser known. Other Collegia musica were founded -- Lititz (c.1765), Nazareth (c. 1780), and Salem (c.1786) -- the latter continuing on until about 1835. The increasing demand for music by these groups stimulated the American Moravians to a veritable frenzy of copying and transcribing from European masterworks as well as composing their own works. The Salem Collegium musicum collection holds about 500 compositions, of which about 150 are in manuscript form! String music is prevalent in all of the instrumental music collections, with genres ranging from works for unaccompanied violin through classical symphonies.