PlainchantPlatonic philosophy and its

influence on Medieval aesthetics

Monophony“one + sound” a single voice texture (one note

at a time).

Plainchant

More commonly called “Gregorian Chant” and sometimes called “Plainsong;” plainchant is the

sung, monophonic music used in worship by the Roman Catholic

Church as well as other Christian denominations. Plainchant used to be sung exclusively in Latin and Greek, but is now sung in

other languages, including English. Plainchant developed

over many centuries (from Roman times to about 1300 A.D.) and

still has an enormous influence on choral music and composers.

Pope Gregory the Great

• 14-year Papacy (590-604)

• Reformed and standardized worship

• Clarified the roles of Deacons and Bishops

• Spread the Church to England via St. Augustine

Why “Gregorian” chant?

• Standardized chant melodies

• Began the arduous task of writing chants down for future generations

• May have written some chant himself; we cannot be sure

Salve Regina

The “Rules” of Chant

• Monophonic (Chant was single line)

• Mostly stepwise - few skips or large intervals

• Rhythm was based on syllable count and accents (no steady beat)

• Instruments were looked on as extensions of the voice or used to support or double the vocal line.

• About 8 different scales (called modes) were used in plainchant.

Musical Modes

• Modes are just scales

• Our major and minor scales can be considered modes

• There are many different church modes (7). Each has a different feel or sound

• Some folk and pop music is “modal,” just major and minor are much more common