Friday, 4 November 2016

Concept Revision - Plainchant

Plainchant

·         Also known as Plainsong and Gregorian Chant
·        Unaccompanied melody set to words of the Catholic Liturgy such as the Mass, or traditional Catholic prayers.
·        Plainchants are modal and have no regular time meter. They follow the rhythm of the Latin words. 
·        Plainchant is usually in unison but sometimes there are simple harmony parts - this is called organum (2 parts which move together that same distance apart all the time, usually a 5th.) This is the earliest form of harmony.

   Video: ‘Ubi Caritas’ :


Can you see how the written music is not in a clef nor does it have a time signature?



When you listen to a plainchant you will hear:

No instruments - a plainchant is A Cappella
Male Voices - Traditional Plainchants were only sang by monks and priests - who are only ever men!
Latin language - Roman Catholic prayers or parts of the Mass!


As you listen to the following playlist, try to identify the following features:
A Capella
Latin
Male Voices
Unison
Solo
Organum
Modal
Melismatic


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