Gregorian chant
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Main Period: Middle Ages
Kind: Vocal

Composers

No known composers
King David playing music with his musicians (13 century) from the player book of St. Elizabeth, National Library, Vienna
Gregorian Chant
An unaccompanied Christian song used for prayer in the Catholic Church. At first, Christianity prohibited any use of instruments, which were associated with pagan worship. Pope Gregorius gathered, in the 6th century, all liturgical hymns, 630 of them, into one collection that included all the chants required for the Christian sevices, including the weekly mass, for the entire year. He set 8 modes (ancient scales) for church singing, and these exist to this very day.
The Gregorian chant is sung, as mentioned above, a-cappella, meaning without accompaniment, and with no defined meter or rhythm. It is sung by one voice or several voices singing the same tune exactly (in unison).
The historical origins of Gregorian chant are ancient Christian songs, based on Jewish tunes already sung in the Jewish temple, and Greek and Roman influences.




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