Gregorian Chant

Cambridge Introductions to Music

by David Hiley

What is Gregorian chant, and where does it come from? What purpose does it serve, and how did it take on the form and features which make it instantly recognizable? Designed to guide students through this key topic, this book answers these questions and many more. David Hiley describes the church services in which chant is performed, takes the reader through the church year, explains what Latin texts were used, and, taking Worcester Cathedral as an example, describes the buildings in which it was sung. The history of chant is traced from its beginnings in the early centuries of Christianity, through the Middle Ages, the revisions in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and the restoration in the nineteenth and twentieth. Using numerous music examples, the book shows how chants are made and how they were notated. An indispensable guide for all those interested in the fascinating world of Gregorian chant.

Genres: Music, Medieval, History

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2009

Reviews

[Filippus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mooie inleiding in de fascinerende wereld van het gregoriaans, de westerse religieuze muziek bij uitstek. De historie, de rol van het gregoriaans in de liturgie, de enorme diversiteit van het gregoriaans, de notatie en de uitvoering komen aan bod. Ook komt het begin van de muzieknotatie tersprake, evenals de verschillende muzikale tradities en de (kerk)politieke achtergronden van verschillende muzikale ontwikkelingen. Prachtig boek.

[Emily Ignatius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Makes an interesting topic boring.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult for the non-specialist, but still interesting and informative.