Historical Issues of Distribution of Western Choral Music in China
The paper is devoted to the specifi cs of integration of Western choral art into Chinese musical culture. Relying on the analysis of a large number of sources, the author draws up a retrospective panorama of the development of choral singing in China in the 16th - 19th centuries. The paper provides data on the existence of chamber vocal genres within the framework of the activities of missionary Christian communities, lists the fi rst published music collections, highlights the most prominent persons who contributed to the development of new forms of music-making in China. Conclusions are made about the importance of the missionary movement for the increasing interest in choral singing and popularization of choral works.