Transcript Medieval Period

Medieval Music History
Medieval Music History
Music has been around since the beginning
of man, but we do not know what it sounded
like until the Medieval Period.
It was in this period that people developed a
system to write notes down. It started with
the most powerful organization in the world
at that time.
The Medieval Period, or Middle Ages, started
around 500 AD and lasted 950 years ending
in the year _______.
1450
Early written music had words and sometimes even
scribbles to tell the singer to go up and down, but
there was no form of specific music notation. This
is an early chant written by monks about 100 AD.
Over time, the monks began to develop a form of
music notation that showed how high or low to
sing a note by using a staff.
The first written
record of music
notation dates
back to the 6th
Century. It’s
called Gregorian
Chant and it was
named after the
leader of the
Catholic church.
Mr. Lauritzen secretly snapped this
picture when he was in the Vatican
museum in Rome.
Pope Gregory the Great organized all the chants of
all the Catholic churches around the world into a
collection, so they named the chants after him.
Here is an example of the first notation used by the
monks. It’s very similar to the notation we still use
today. What are some differences?
Square notes and only 4 lines on the staff
Gregorian Chant, like most chants, is
sung without instruments. It only uses
voices. We call this “a cappella”.
The Trinity of the
Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit was the
most important
number of the
Church, so all of the
music was grouped
into 3’s to represent
this sacred trinity.
This CD, simply
called “CHANT,”
came out in 1994
and sold millions
of copies.
You are listening to it right now. Why
do you think people would buy this?
It’s peaceful, spiritual, & relaxing after a stressful day.
Gregorian Chant has remained an important part of the
Catholic Church even to the present.
People still turn to Gregorian Chant for spiritual and
intellectual uplifting or to evoke a solemn, sacred atmosphere.
Chant started as a single, vocal melody with no
steady beat. For hundreds of years, all the
monks sang the same notes at the same times.
Around the 9th Century, some singers
began singing in a harmony of 5th’s, thus
creating homophonic harmony.
About the 12th Century, the monks started to sing
2 or more melodies at the same time.
What do we call this?
Chant is not only used by the Roman Catholic
church. It is frequently used in many parts of
the world today. Here are a few examples:
India – Buddist Prayer to Chenrizi
(wait for music to play before clicking)
Middle East – Muslim Call to Prayer
New Zealand – Maori War Chant
U.S. – Native American War Chant
Tibet – Monks Chanting the Tantra
Here are some instruments from the
Medieval Period
11.
12.
Bagpipe
Harp
13.
14.
Timbrel
Drum
15.
16.
Cymbals
Flute
18.
17.
Viol
Shawm
19.
20.
Shofar
Recorder
Here are some
more
instruments
used in the
Medieval
Period
Listening:
Composer: Gregorian Chant
Song Title: Hosanna Filio David