Gregorian chant is a living tradition. No amount of study, analysis or philosophizing could ever come close to encompassing the mystery and majesty of this marvelous body of music. Those who have been privileged to sing it for decades are the first to profess that still, with every passing year, they are drawn in more deeply. To devote oneself to Gregorian chant is to engage in a lifetime pursuit.
This post has been in the making for a long time. The saying goes, when you want to make God laugh, tell him your five-year plan. Well heck, just tell him your three-month plan! Last year, I wrote a series of emails for the ICA's weekly readers about "Musical Lectio Divina", diving into the beautiful relationship of text and melody in a number of Gregorian chant communion antiphons. Leading musical Lectio Divina with others is one of my very favorite things to do, and it occurred to me that some ICA readers would benefit if I write a blog post about the process.
A blog post. Yeah. [insert God laughing]
My plan for one post quickly turned into a plan for many more, all of which I had thought would be completed by Christmas of 2024 [insert God laughing again]. Part I is devoted to the Latin language. Part II (this article) was going to be devoted to Melodies and Modes, but as it turns out, it's quite possible to devote an entire post to the relationship of Gregorian chant to basic characteristics of speech. It's an under-represented subject, to be sure, as most people prefer to focus on its sublime melodies. The melodies, however, are properly at service to the texts.
In the words of Father Columba Kelly, OSB: "Gregorian chant is sung speech."
It is a form of music heavily shaped by the language traits of the sacred texts it adorns. In this blog article, we will explore five key aspects:
Cantillation, reciting tones and cadences
The "Gregorian Arch"
Relationship of textual and melodic divisions
Lifting pitch at the word accent
Accent marks and early musical notation
Cantillation, reciting tones and cadences
Early Christian singing existed in a space somewhere between speaking and the elaborate chants which we know today. This kind of singing is called cantillation, and is inherited from the Jewish synagogue. (Here is an example of Hebrew cantillation.)
"[Cantillation] is a type of declamation that lies halfway between speaking and singing, for the purpose not of adorning the text, but of enhancing the word. Cantillation lights up the words, enabling them to carry further and with greater significance than if they were just spoken: it lends them a very specific character, in keeping with the priestly nature of a sacred place. From the moment they are heard, they bring to mind another world, and they generate the appropriate ethos for acts of worship....
"All the musical substance is directed toward the text: ornamentation is at the service of the word or the sentence; the rhythm is that of solemn declamation." — Dom Daniel Saulnier, Gregorian Chant: A Guide to the History and Liturgy
In cantillation, singing is fixed primarily upon one particular pitch — akin to a reciting tone — with ornaments (in the Jewish tradition they are called tropes) adorning key syllables. This is the context out of which Gregorian chant was born.
Observe the beginning of Gloria IV, also known as the Ambrosian Gloria. Most of the text is sung on a single pitch: LA (highlighted in blue). There is a melisma on the second syllable of "tibi" on the second line. (Listen to Gloria IV here.)
The reciting tone is a crucial characteristic of Gregorian chant. It is by means of its elasticity, by stretching out or condensing to accommodate texts of almost any length, that the psalms, canticles, and readings can be sung.
The next stage of development in Gregorian chant was, as Dom Daniel Saulnier describes in his books, an expansion of the range of singing. This was brought about in many ways, the core of which were the ascent of the accent, and the descent of the final pitch in a phrase. In other words, the speech characteristics related to pitch were further magnified, creating a richer palette of tonal qualities for the composer's paintbrush. (This is the origin of the Gregorian Arch, to which the next section of this article is devoted.)
Closely related to this mechanism was the development of simple melodic formulae called tones, and the addition of a second pitch axis of reference, resulting in a dominant and final. Each cadence in a tone requires that word accents be coordinated with important changes in pitch. The unfolding of this process and its consequences is laid out in detail in Saulnier's The Gregorian Modes.
Below is Psalm 116 [117] according to two different formulaic tones, including the rules for aligning word accents and melodic cadences (mediant cadence, and termination). Pay attention to the flexibility of the tone as it applies to each verse. Some verses are longer, others shorter. Sometimes there are two syllables following the last accent of the phrase, and sometimes just one. Each tone is composed to accommodate these kinds of differences with ease.
Tone 8G: reciting tone on DO (top line of staff)
Verse 1 translation: Praise the Lord, all you nations: praise him, all you peoples.
Tone 1D: reciting tone on LA (second line from top of staff)
It is worth mentioning here that before Solesmes introduced its rules for psalmody, word accents were even better matched to tone cadences. Whereas now there is a limit of just 1-2 syllables between two word accents in a cadence, the previous tradition would have allowed as many as needed to keep the word accents aligned with pitch changes. And vice versa, pitches assigned to separate syllables could be combined on a single-syllable word of importance. Dom Eugène Cardine, in his Beginning Studies in Gregorian Chant, reproduces the following example from St. Gall 381:
While the reciting tone belongs to the very oldest forms of Gregorian chant, its vestiges frequently appear in newer, more complex chants as well. For example, most of the communion chant Venite post me grows out of the pitch SOL (middle space, highlighted in orange), with one section taking a higher pitch, DO (top line, highlighted in green). Listen to a recording of the chant, paying attention to the ways the other pitches relate to these two main pitches.
Translation: "Follow me; I will make you fishers of men." Whereupon they, leaving their nets and their boat, followed the Lord. (Matthew 4:19, 20)
Another example: the Gradual for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Prope est Dominus. FA is highlighted in yellow, and DO in green. There is a clef change in the versicle, which is why FA and DO drop to the next line down. Here is a recording of the chant. Can you tell how the highlighted pitches inform the composition of the rest of the chant? The robust melody blossoms out of these basic pitch axes.
Translation: The Lord is close to all who call him, who call on him in the sincerity of their hearts. V. My mouth shall speak the praises of the Lord; let all flesh bless his holy name. (Psalm 144 [145]:18, V. 21)
There are countless other examples in the Gregorian repertory of a reciting tone underpinning the melodies. Just a few:
Psalm 113/114 "In exitu", sung at Sunday Vespers in the TLM, follows a special psalm tone with two reciting tones (called Tonus Peregrinus): LA in the first half of each verse, and SOL in the second half of the verse.
Kalendas, i.e. the Christmas Proclamation: gravitates towards SOL (middle space), some MI (bottom space), and DO (top line) towards the end. listen
Hodie scietis introit for Christmas Eve: gravitates towards FA (third line from top of staff). listen
Benedicite introit for Michaelmas: gravitates towards DO (top line). listen
Offertory Bonum est confiteri: gravitates towards DO (top line). listen
In salutare tuo communion: parts gravitate towards FA (third line from top, and others to LA (second line from top). listen
Vox in rama communion for the Holy Innocents: gravitates towards RE (top space), except for "noluit consolari" which gravitates towards DO (second line from top). listen
Est autem etiam in dicendo quidam cantus obscurior.
There is, moreover, even in speech, a sort of singing. ~ Cicero
The Gregorian Arch
I recall a student once telling me that a certain college professor spoke in monotone, making it impossible to stay awake during class. He devised a plan: record the lectures, and play them back in his dorm room. The result? His professor put him to sleep in the classroom and in his dorm room.
We've all heard bad lecturers and readers. They don't clearly articulate the text, don't provide measured pauses to allow the listener to absorb what is being said, or they speak in a low, indistinct tone which does not carry, or fail to distinguish important syllables and words.
In his Performing Chant: Latin and English, a Performance Manual, Father Columba Kelly, OSB illustrates key speech characteristics as they occur in the English language:
De - liv - er - ance
1 2 3 4
1) Italics: first syllable ("pre-tonic") moves quickly and softly to the accented syllable.
2) Bold: blossoms with full sound ("accent").
3) Ordinary font: floats softly on the momentum of the accent ("post-tonic").
4) Underline: dissipates all the energy and momentum left from the accent
("final syllable").
Speak the word out loud. "Deliverance."
Can you hear the described characteristics? There is a build of intensity in the first syllable, a fullness and sense of arrival upon the second syllable, and a diminuendo of energy through the last two syllables. Try these next examples:
De - ve - lop - ment
O sing to the Lord our God.
Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just.
There are similar mechanisms at work in the Latin language. Again, using Father Kelly's examples:
be - ne - son - án - ti - bus
Translation: Praise the Lord on high sounding cymbals. (Psalm 150:5)
Note the arched arrow above the word "benesonántibus". The melody follows the curvature of the rhythm and intensity of speech, going up as it approaches the accent, and releasing its energy as the singer proceeds to the conclusion of the word.
"This is the phenomenon of the accentus (from ad cantum: 'for the chant'); the accent, 'the soul of the word and seed of musical art,' governs a whole new musical creativity. For there exists a true dynamism in the Latin word: the word is an evolving melody. The accented syllable rises in pitch, and this is counterbalanced by the final syllable descending to a structural note. The other syllables are carried along by this movement: those preceding the accent are a preparation for the highest point; those following are a transition toward the ending. All this happens within the unity of a single rhythmic entity, that of the word." — Daniel Saulnier, Gregorian Chant: A Guide to the History and Liturgy
In Gregorian chant, whole phrases and sentences present a similar phenomenon, building to the peak of a particularly important word or syllable, and then releasing energy until arrival at the end of the sentence. This structure has been named the "Gregorian arch" — a framework that can be observed in most Gregorian chants. There may be one, or several arches in a given chant.
Qui vult venire translation: If a man wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)
Salva nos translation: Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake, watch over us as we sleep: that awake we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep rest in his peace.
You may have noticed that the word accents in the last two antiphons do not always align with the upper pitches in these examples: e.g. "veníre" and "crúcem" in the first antiphon, and "custódi" and "requiescámus" in the second. While word accents tend to bloom into the upper pitches of the word-melody, this is not a universal rule. We will return to this point further below when discussing the Medicean Edition.
Relationship of textual and melodic divisions
Medieval manuscripts did not contain punctuation marks or bar lines: such markings are later editorial additions. Even without such markings, it is still possible to divide up a text into meaningful divisions. These text divisions, in turn, transmit into musical phrases.
Let's look at one of the most unusual texts in the entire Proper of the Mass: the offertory chant, Vir erat. I have taken the liberty of removing all punctuation marks from the text. I divided it into five distinct parts, each containing its own complete thought. I further added a slash mark in the middle of each line to indicate the beginning of a descriptive phrase which completes the thought contained before the slash mark. These descriptive phrases answer such questions as "who?" "what?" "how?" etc. (If you've ever had to diagram sentences, these divisions should make sense.)
1. Vir erat in terra nómine Iob / simplex et rectus ac timens Deum
There was a man in that land whose name was Job / blameless and upright and God-fearing
"Simple and upright and God-fearing" describes the subject: the man, Job.
2. quem Satan pétiit / ut tentáret
Satan asked / to be allowed to tempt him
"to be allowed to tempt him" is the object of the verb "asked", and answers the question, "asked what?"
3. et data est ei potéstas a Dómino / in facultáte et in carne eius
and the Lord gave him power / over his possessions and his body
"over his possessions and his body" describes the power that God gave to Satan
4. perdidítque omnem substántiam ipsíus / et fílios
and so he destroyed his possessions / and his children
"and his children" is the second kind of group targeted by Satan's destruction (the first is Job's possessions)
5. carnem quoque eius / gravi ulcere vulnerávit
and he ravaged his flesh / with horrible sores
"with horrible sores" describes more specifically what Satan did, and answers the question, "How did Satan waste Job's flesh?"
Is this all making sense so far? The bottom line; these breaks are inserted to punctuate complete and incomplete thoughts. They are not being made with reference to music....at least not yet.
Now, look at the chant. Thick orange lines have been added where a new line of text begins, and red diagonal slash marks correspond to the slash marks contained within each new line of text (as laid out above).
You can listen to the chant here. Do you see/can you hear how the divisions in the text correspond to important divisions in the chant melody? If you wish, you may check my punctuation marks in the chant above with the bar lines in the Vatican edition. (Pretty close, aren't they?)
You can go through this process with nearly any Gregorian chant and make similar discoveries. The important textual and melodic divisions nearly always correspond to each other.
Now is a good time to give mention to an oft-overlooked aspect of Gregorian chant: the Pause. Here, I will share a quote brought to my attention by the writings of Father Columba Kelly. He quotes the modern author, Charlotte Lee in Oral Reading of the Scriptures.
"The rate or pace at which a person speaks.…includes.…also the length and frequency of pauses separating the sound sequences. The beginner is usually afraid to hold a pause long enough for its dramatic effect to register with his listener. If a pause is motivated by real understanding, by identification with the feeling suggested, it may be sustained for a much longer time and with greater effect than the beginner realizes. …A pause should usually link what comes before and after rather than break the train of thought progression. …The interpreter should….vary and sustain the lengths of the pauses as the material demands. Punctuation, of course, may serve him as a guide to pauses – but it is only a guide. Punctuation is used on the printed page to signal the eye."
Does this perspective suggest a more meaningful approach to breath marks? Rather than being simply moments for catching one's breath, they can be employed in punctuating the text and engaging the listener.
To quote Mozart, "The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between."
The mission of the International Chant Academy is to keep the beauty and meaningfulness of Gregorian Chant and Early Sacred Music alive and relevant. We foster understanding of these art forms, and teach the musical and vocal skills necessary to excellent performance.
Accent marks and early musical notation
The very first musical notation, before the invention of the musical staff, developed out of signs associated with speech:
virga | / | for the acute accent (pitch going up)
tractulus | — or . | for the grave syllable (pitch going down)
Can you find the virga and tractulus markings in this 10th century manuscript of the Introit for Christmas Eve Mass?
Codex Saint Gallen 342, folio 117
Translation: Today you will know that the Lord is coming to save us; and tomorrow you will see his glory. (Cf. Exodus 16:6, 7; Isaiah 35:4)
The rest of the neumes in this notation are, for the most part, combinations of acute and grave marks. It is also speculated that the ascending quilisma neume (absent from this particular chant) originally corresponded to another symbol from speech: the question mark.
Lifting the pitch at the word accent
The languages of the Mediterranean basin have a particularly sing-song style: word accents are naturally lifted up slightly in pitch. This characteristic translates musically into a significant part of the Gregorian repertory. Observe the Introit for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (listen here).
Translation: Skies, let the Just One come forth like the dew, let him descend from the clouds like the rain. The earth will open up and give birth to our Savior. (Isaiah 45: 8)
One of the most famous examples of favoring word accents in the whole repertory is the Offertory chant, Jubilate Deo. Listen to the chant here, and be sure to check out that crazy melisma on the second "jubilate"!
Translation: Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; shout with joy to God, all the earth; sing a psalm in honor of his name; come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what great things the Lord has done for my soul, alleluia. (Psalm 65 [66]:1, 2, 16)
Here, it is important to note that word accents in Gregorian chant do not always align with melodic high points or melismas. This became such a point of contention in the 17th century that the chants were re-written! Some believed that the linguistic characteristics of the chants should be so completely connected to the melody that any melismas which did not match up with the word accent should be 1) moved to a different syllable, to align with the word accent, or 2) eliminated entirely. The result was the infamous Medicean edition, which remained in force until it was superceded by the Vatican Edition in 1904.
Do you see how this Gradual for the First Sunday of Advent was completely dismantled within just the first two lines?
The moral of the story: although the melodies of Gregorian chant are at service to the text, the text is not the only formative principle of the melodies. There are also musical and liturgical principles, equally definitive. We shall return to these subjects in future posts.
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