Gregorian 2

1. Name after
Pope Gregory 1

2. Center of Western Plainchant
 Sacred
 Monophonic
 Polyphony
 Church modes
 Strictly vocal

3. Pope Gregory 1
Pope Gregory 1 was responsible for singing
monophonic works/chants to the liturgical calendar of
the church, such as Christmas, Easter.

4. Monophony
Melody without accompanying harmony. This may be
realised as just one note at a time, or with same note
duplicated at the octave

5. Monophonic chants
 Hymns
 Antiphons
 Sequence

6. Mass
Sung during Mass Proper & Ordinary
Character:
 Monophonic
 Sacred
 Latin language

7. Church Modes
 Ionian
 Aeolian

8. Functions
 Music for the church.
 The language of the God.
 Prayer, rituals
 Represent the voice of the church.
 Enhance liturgy  set atmosphere for prayer.
 Rituals, sacrifice, birth, death, marriage.

9. Characteristics
• No Rhythmic notation
• No Tempo
• No Dynamic
• No Meter
• No Major or Minor key
• In Modes
• Four Vertical lines

10. Adding
 Early Mass (monophonic).
 Daily prayer (antiphonic).
 Early organum:
 1st voice: principal voice.
 2nd voice: organal voice.
 Polyphonic music:
 organum, polyphonic Gregorian Chant.
 Characteristic: no rhythmic notation, no tempo, no dynamic.
 Compare of Plain songs & Secular songs.
 Same: single note notation, no accompaniment, monophonic style.
 Different: meter, subject, written language.
 Plain songs: religious, Latin only.
 Secular songs: wide range of subjects, vernacular language.

11. Bibliography
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HEKhr002Ts
 http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/blog/4-public-
domain-gregorian-chants-for-download/
 http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/blog//wp-
content/uploads/2009/03/g_chant.jpg
 Wikipedia – The Gregorian Chant. The diocese of the
Saxons Sisley.