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The contribution of the Reformed churches to music was in the area of using the Psalms for congregational singing in worship. In Protestant Geneva, most church music was banished by the austere reformer Calvin who strongly opposed all music "composed solely for the pleasure of the ear". If music were to be retained in any form in the church service, an entirely different repertoire of religious songs had to be created. In Loys Bourgeois, Calvin found a musician who was willing to help him in this undertaking. In 1547, Bourgeois published his 'Psalms of David', compositions in a simple four-part setting, to be sung by the congregation during the services.

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