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Gregorian chant is a form of sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek), employed within the Roman Catholic Church for centuries. From the start, Gregorian chant has had two key distinguishing features:<\/p>\n
The peak period for the development of Gregorian chant was 9th and 10th-century Europe.<\/p>\n
Confusingly, the form takes its name from Pope Gregory I<\/a><\/strong>, who has often been credited with the invention of Gregorian chant during his lifetime. This was much earlier, in the later 6th century: however, today\u2019s scholars believe that Gregorian chant developed later, and drew on song traditions from both Rome and Gaul (now France).<\/p>\n Gregorian chant was originally sung in one of two settings: by men and women in religious orders, in the chapels of monasteries and other such buildings; and by choirs (either men or boys) in churches.<\/p>\n Essentially, Gregorian chant was performed either during the Roman Catholic Mass, or during the monastic Office \u2013 the sequence of religious services, or times of prayer, among religious communities.<\/p>\n Gregorian chant is no longer obligatory in either setting. However, it is still considered the music most suitable for worship by the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n This beautiful and spiritual musical form had a profound impact on the patterns taken by both medieval and Renaissance music. For example, the way that the modern musical stave<\/strong><\/a> is notated was developed directly from Gregorian musical notation. The bass clef<\/strong><\/a> and the flat, natural, and sharp accidentals all come from Gregorian notation.<\/p>\n The melodies from Gregorian chant also found their way into hymns and tunes, and helped to shape medieval and Renaissance polyphony<\/strong><\/a>. Chants would often be used as a can<\/a>tus<\/a><\/strong> firmus<\/strong><\/a>, or a fixed tune around which a polyphonic choral melody can develop. The Marian antiphons, especially Alma Redemptoris Mater<\/i>, were frequently arranged by Renaissance composers.<\/p>\n Later, the Catholic Church introduced polyphonic arrangements (with different groups singing different melodies) to replace the monophonic Gregorian chant during the Ordinary of the Mass \u2013 those parts of the Mass that remain unchanged throughout the year.<\/p>\nHow is Gregorian chant performed? And what types of voices is it for?<\/h3>\n
How did Gregorian chant influence later classical music?<\/h3>\n