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Gregorian chant

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How does Gregorian Chant differ from modren music? Q&A From the January AD 2006 Our Lady of the Rosary Parish Bulletin Question: What is the difference between Gregorian Chant and other forms of Church and secular music? Answer: The idea of chanting the Scriptures and other religious songs is not unique to Christianity. The greatest part of the material chanted in Catholic worship is the Book of Psalms, taken, of course, from the Hebrew Scriptures. Our chant has its roots in the music of the Jews, and borrows some of the theoretical insights of ancient Greek music. There is some debate among musical historians as to which chants are accurately labeled Gregorian, and as to the degree in which Pope Saint Gregory the Great (590-604) was involved in its formation.

At the end of this article we will print a piece of music in Gregorian notation and point out the symbols described in the body of the writing. There are several types of chant belonging to the Gregorian family, but all have a number of characteristics in common. Notes: Why is chant called Gregorian? That "Gregorian" chant was named for and credited to Pope Gregory I (r. 590-604) is an accident of politics and spin doctoring. Tension between the Pope (the Bishop of Rome) and other Bishops regarding the authority of the Pope as "first among equals" was matched by tension between the Pope, as spiritual ruler of Rome, and Rome's secular rulers.

This tension was an off and on thing until as late as the 15th century, when the "Conciliar Conflict" (c. 1409-1460) pitted the power of the Council of Bishops against the power of the Pope and Cardinals. Gregory I has been credited with many things, including the writing, collecting, or organizing of the body of plainchant in use at the time, as well founding the first singing school (Schola Cantorum) in Rome to train singers for the church, organizing the church's annual cycle of liturgical readings, and first establishing the church's authority over the secular rulers of Rome. Whether he actually did any of these things is questionable. What is Gregorian Chant - GIA Publications. Before reviewing the main Gregorian chant books and resources, perhaps it is good to state what Gregorian chant is. Gregorian chant is the church’s own music, born in the church’s liturgy.

Its texts are almost entirely scriptural, coming for the most part from the Psalter. For centuries it was sung as pure melody, in unison, and without accompaniment, and this is still the best way to sing chant if possible. It was composed entirely in Latin; and because its melodies are so closely tied to Latin accents and word meanings, it is best to sing it in Latin. (Among possible exceptions are chant hymns, since the melodies are formulaic and are not intrinsically tied to the Latin text.) Because the liturgy was sung almost entirely in Gregorian chant in the Middle Ages (with polyphony saved for special occasions), every type of liturgical text has been set in chant: readings, prayers, dialogs, Mass propers, Mass ordinaries, office hymns, office psalms and antiphons, responsories, and versicles. The Influence of Gregorian Chant Through Today. Gregorian chant is a central tradition chant of Western Christianity that came into existence for that ritual services and mass celebrations.

Gregorian chant originated in the West Germanic tribes, the areas of western and central Europe during 12th-13th century. Pope Gregory is believed to be the originator of Gregorian music. Gregorian chant, through its history, has survived many changes and reforms. Gregorian chants are the oldest known music to be adequately documented since 10th century.

Musical forms of Gregorian chant There are various forms of Gregorian music. Norbertine Gregorian chant – Norbertine Gregorian chants history played a major role in maintaining the Gregorian tradition. Influence of genre up to 20th century Gregorian chanting left some prominent impact on medieval and renaissance music. The middle age – With beginning of Gregorian chant, the church music slowly developed into polyphonic music. Influence of Genre in the 20th and 21st century. Catholic music - musica católica - Gregorian Chants. History of Gregorian chant. Gregorian Chant is a musical repertory made up of chants used in the liturgical services of the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, the liturgical tradition which the Church has given us is a vocal, monophonic music composed in Latin using sacred texts from the Ancient and New Testaments.

This is why Gregorian Chant has often been called a "sung Bible". Linked intimately to the liturgy in this way, the goal of the Gregorian melodies is to favor spiritual growth, reveal the gifts of God and the full coherence of the Christian message. What we call Gregorian chant today first appears distinctly in the Roman repertory of the fifth and sixth centuries. Its implimentation and perhaps some of its composition was in the hands of a group of ministers in a service specially dedicated to the Roman basilicas, the schola cantorum. Gregorian chant also appears to have been an aural music, that is, transmitted by ear and committed to memory - like all other music of the world at the time. Gregorian chant. Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song of the western Roman Catholic Church.

Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe during the 9th and 10th centuries, with later additions and redactions. Although popular legend credits Pope St. Gregory the Great with inventing Gregorian chant, scholars believe that it arose from a later Carolingian synthesis of Roman chant and Gallican chant. History[edit] Development of earlier plainchant[edit] Musical elements that would later be used in the Roman Rite began to appear in the 3rd century.

Scholars are still debating how plainchant developed during the 5th through the 9th centuries, as information from this period is scarce. John the Deacon, biographer (c. 872) of Pope Gregory I, modestly claimed that the saint "compiled a patchwork antiphonary",[11] unsurprisingly, given his considerable work with liturgical development.

Origins of mature plainchant[edit] Chant Resources. Gregorian chant.