Although hymns made up the bulk of documented musical activity by the Moravians from their beginnings through the eighteenth century, independent sacred vocal compositions for soloists and choirs flourished especially during the period of approximately 1750 to 1830. During this time, Moravian composers wrote choral music, accompanied by instruments, that was heard or performed by members of Moravian congregations week in and week out throughout the church year. Although the Moravian Church worldwide has maintained a continuous tradition of vocal and instrumental music to the present day, the period 1750–1830 stands apart for the sheer intensity and volume of music making, as well as for its stylistic continuity throughout. From the vantage point of today, we can consider it the “golden age” of Moravian music. After a period of relative neglect in the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, scholars, particularly in America, began to rediscover the music of the earlier Moravians, and modern scholarship in Moravian music has existed since the 1930s. Thanks to the work of these scholars, now in the third generation, we have at our disposal large quantities of Moravian music in modern editions, some of it recorded. An awareness of the contribution of Moravian composers has also entered mainstream scholarship and transcends religious denominations in America today. A recent discussion of the past, present, and future of American choral music among prominent American choral conductors pointed out the importance of the Moravians in establishing the foundations of the American choral tradition in the eighteenth century, along with the New England composers and the singing school movement. In Europe, appreciation for the distinctly Moravian musical heritage has developed only recently, partly because of the rich context of the musical culture surrounding the Moravians in Germany, and partly because of the difficulties inherent in researching religious music in eastern Germany during the years of the German Democratic Republic, 1945–90. Today, scholars working in the field are building on the accomplishments of the past several decades and are striving toward a more holistic understanding of Moravian music in its musicological, cultural, and theological context.