Gregorian chant

A doctrinally unified version which came together from under the supervision of Rome in
approximately the ninth century was called Gregorian chant, a type of plainsong that was
central to the musical tradition of Europe in the Medieval era. The actual melodies that
make up the repertory probably come from several sources, some as far back as the
pontificate of Gregory the Great himself (c. 590 604). Many of them were probably written
in the politically stable, relatively literate setting of western monasteries during the
reign of Charlemagne.

The earliest surviving sources of chant showing musical notation are from the early ninth
century, though the consistency of the music across a wide area implies that some form of
chant notation, now lost, may have existed earlier than this. It should be noted that music
notation existed in the ancient worldfor example Greecebut the ability to read and write
this notation was lost around the fifth century, as was all of the music that went with it.

To what extent the music of the Gregorian chant represents a survival of the music of the
ancient world is much debated by scholars, but certainly there must have been some
influence, if only from the music of thesynagogue. Only the smallest of scraps of ancient
music have survived (for instance, the Seikilos epitaph), but those that have show an
unsurprising similarity of mode, shape and phrase conception to later Western music.

Chant survived and prospered in monasteries and religious centres throughout the chaotic
years of the early middle ages, for these were the places of greatest stability and
literacy. Most developments in western classical music are either related to, or directly
descended from, procedures first seen in chant and its earliest elaborations.

Instruments
The instruments used to perform medieval music largely still exist, though in different
forms. The medieval cornett differed immensely from its modern counterpart, the trumpet,
not least in traditionally being made of ivory or wood rather than metal. Cornetts in
medieval times were quite short. They were either straight or somewhat curved, and
construction became standardised on a curved version by approximately the middle 15th
century. In one side, there would be several holes. The flute was once made of wood rather
than silver or other metal, and could be made as a side-blown or end-blown instrument.
The recorder, on the other hand, has more or less retained its past form. The gemshorn is
similar to the recorder in having finger holes on its front, though it is really a member of
the ocarina family. One of the flute's predecessors, the pan flute, was popular in medieval
times, and is possibly of Hellenic origin. This instrument's pipes were made of wood, and were
graduated in length to produce different pitches.

Many medieval plucked string instruments were similar to the modern guitar, such as
the lute and mandolin. The hammered dulcimer, similar in structure to the psaltery
and zither, was not plucked but struck. Thehurdy-gurdy was (and still is) a mechanical
violin using a rosined wooden wheel attached to a crank to "bow" its strings. Instruments
without sound boxes such as the Jew's harp were also popular. Early versions of
theorgan, fiddle (or vielle), and trombone (called the sackbut) existed as well.
Pope Saint Gregory I (Latin: Gregorius I; c. 540 12 March 604), commonly known
as Saint Gregory the Great, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 3 September 590
[1]

to his death in 604. Gregory is famous for instigating the first recorded large-
scale mission from Rome to convert a pagan people to Christianity. Gregory is
[2]

also well known for his writings, which were more prolific than those of any of his
predecessors as pope. He is also known as the Great Visionary of Modern
[3]

Educational System, for his writings and contribution to the school system of
education instead of apprenticeships based learning. The epithet Saint Gregory
the Dialogist has been attached to him in Eastern Christianity because of
his Dialogues. For this reason, English translations of Eastern texts will
sometimes list him as Gregory "Dialogos" or the Latinized equivalent "Dialogus".

A senator's son and himself the Prefect of Rome at 30, Gregory tried
the monastery but soon returned to active public life, ending his life and the
century as pope. Although he was the first pope from a monastic background, his
prior political experiences may have helped him to be a talented administrator,
who successfully established papal supremacy. During his papacy he greatly
surpassed with his administration the emperors in improving the welfare of the
people of Rome, and successfully challenged the theological views of Patriarch
Eutychius of Constantinople before the emperor Tiberius II. Gregory regained
papal authority in Spain and France, and sent missionaries to England. The
realignment of barbarian allegiance to Rome from their Arian Christian alliances
shaped medieval Europe. Gregory sawFranks, Lombards, and Visigoths align with
Rome in religion.

Throughout the Middle Ages he was known as "the Father of Christian Worship"
because of his exceptional efforts in revising the Roman worship of his day. His
[4]

contributions to the development of the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts,

still in use in the Byzantine Rite, were so significant that he is generally
recognized as its de facto author.

Gregory is a Doctor of the Church and one of the Latin Fathers. He is considered
a saint in the Catholic Church,Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, and
some Lutheran churches. Immediately after his death, Gregory was canonized by
popular acclaim. The Protestant reformer John Calvin admired Gregory and
[5]

declared in hisInstitutes that Gregory was the last good pope. He is the patron
[6]

saint of musicians, singers, students, and teachers.