Ethan Walker
Liturgical music is a well-known part of Catholic Mass and other Christian services. The Catholic Church has long held an interest in music, as evidenced by various enactments and regulations promoting music worthy of divine service. The Second Vatican Council, for instance, proclaimed the value of the Church's musical tradition and emphasized the need to preserve and foster sacred music. While the Church has historically preferred Gregorian chant and classic polyphony, the use of rhythm in Catholic music has evolved over time. Early Jewish Christians sang Psalms in a traditional manner, rejecting the frenzied music of neighboring pagan cults. The Church later prohibited Greek-style songs due to their association with gnostic beliefs, leading to the emergence of Gregorian chant and, gradually, polyphony and hymns. During the Renaissance, liturgical organ music and small choirs became prominent, and composers like Haydn and Mozart incorporated theatrical elements into their religious compositions. Today, Catholic music continues to evolve, with contemporary composers exploring new paths for ancient forms.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Liturgical music | Part of Catholic Mass, Anglican Holy Communion, Evensong, Lutheran Divine Service, Orthodox liturgy, and other Christian services |
| Liturgical music qualities | Norms and needs of the various historic liturgies of particular denominations |
| Sacred music | Holy, true art, and universal |
| Sacred music preservation | Gregorian chant, polyphony, and hymns |
| Sacred music reform | Renaissance sacred polyphony, Gregorian chant, and new compositions in the restrained contrapuntal style |
| Hymnals influence | Post-baroque concerto style, Viennese classical form, and adulation of self-styled composers |
| Liturgical music history | Early Greek-style songs, Psalms, Gregorian chants, polyphony, and hymns |
| Liturgical music development | Isorhythm, tonality, order, symmetry, and small choirs |
| Notable composers | Orlandus de Lassus, Allegri, Vittoria, J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Bruckner, Rossini, Brahms, Franck, Reger, Berlioz, Verdi, Ralph Vaughan Williams, William Walton, Benjamin Britten, Olivier Messiaen, Francis Poulenc, Igor Stravinsky, and Krzysztof Penderecki |
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What You'll Learn
Gregorian chant
The development of Gregorian chant is often credited to Pope Gregory I, who is believed to have compiled a collection of melodies from various Christian traditions during the 9th and 10th centuries. However, it is likely that he only ordered this compilation, and the actual synthesis of the chants was a Carolingian effort combining Old Roman and Gallican chants. The chants were initially organized into four modes, later expanding to eight and finally 12.
The performance and transmission of Gregorian chants have evolved over time, with variations in style from the 1200s to the 1400s and regional influences such as the Romanian style. The chants have been recorded and preserved, with some enthusiasts preferring the original settings with bells and other accompaniments, while others appreciate modern choir renditions.
The influence of Gregorian chant extended beyond the Catholic Church, impacting the development of Western polyphony. Multi-voice elaborations of the chants, known as organum, contributed to the early stages of polyphonic music in the West.
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Polyphony
The exact origins of polyphony in Western church traditions are unknown, but the treatises Musica enchiriadis and Scolica enchiriadis, authored around 900 CE, are usually considered the oldest written examples of polyphony. These treatises provided examples of two-voice note-against-note embellishments of chants using parallel octaves, fifths, and fourths. The Winchester Troper, from around 1000 CE, is generally considered the oldest example of notated polyphony for chant performance.
The development of polyphony led to the disappearance of the original rhythm of Gregorian chants and the neglect of its simpler form. The Gregorian chant is a type of monophonic plainchant that became the official music of the Christian liturgy. The multi-voice elaborations of Gregorian chants, known as organum, were an early stage in the development of Western polyphony. By the eleventh century, one, two, or even three added melodic lines were no longer moving in parallel motion but contrary to each other, sometimes even crossing. This slow development of organum over the ninth and tenth centuries is considered an early form of polyphony.
In the fourteenth century, polyphonic music became known as Ars Nova, replacing Pérotin's earlier form of polyphony. The first contrapuntal school to produce music of international acclaim was that of Notre Dame, which flourished in and near Paris during the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. The music of this school was performed in monasteries and cathedrals throughout Europe, and large and small collections may be found in 60 or more other manuscripts copied as far away as Spain, England, and Bavaria.
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Hymns
The use of rhythm in Catholic hymns has evolved over the centuries, with the Church incorporating various musical styles into its liturgy. Liturgical music, which includes hymns, is an integral part of Catholic Mass, with the Church recognising its importance through numerous enactments and regulations.
The early Christians' practice of religion was spiritual in nature, and music was not a central element. However, references in the Bible indicate that music, including hymns, played a role in their worship. For example, St. Paul's words in Ephesians 5:19 encourage believers to "speak to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord." Tertullian, a Christian writer in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, noted that during their Divine service, early Christians sang psalms and hymns.
In the Middle Ages, monastic and cathedral choirs in Europe sang Gregorian chants, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin. The Codex Calixtinus, copied around 1140, contains the oldest known three-part piece, Congaudeant catholici. The Notre Dame school of polyphony flourished in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, and their music was performed in monasteries and cathedrals across Europe.
During the Renaissance, composers such as Jacobus de Kerle, Palestrina, Animuccia, Lasso, and Rosselli contributed to the development of sacred polyphony, with Palestrina's works considered the ideal application of polyphony for the Catholic Church. The Caecilian Society, founded in 1868, played a crucial role in the 19th-century reform movement that sought to reintroduce Renaissance sacred polyphony into Catholic church music.
In the 20th century, the Second Vatican Council's (Vatican II) reforms had a significant impact on Catholic liturgical music. The Council's document, Musicam Sacram (1967), emphasised the importance of sacred music and drew a distinction between music suitable for secular purposes and that appropriate for liturgical celebrations. Gregorian chant continued to be valued, and composers like Ray Repp created folk-style musical pieces for the Catholic liturgy, including the "First Mass for Young Americans," which popularised "guitar masses."
The musical style of 21st-century Catholic hymns varies widely, with choir and assembly often accompanied by organs, pianos, or guitars. The incorporation of various musical genres, such as gospel and Negro spirituals, has introduced new rhythms and styles to Catholic liturgical music, reflecting the diverse cultural and linguistic contexts in which it is practised.
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Sacred music
The early Christians' practice of religion was so purely spiritual that music was not a necessary part of their worship. However, the Apostle Paul's words in Ephesians 5:19, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord", indicate that music was later incorporated into Christian worship. Early Christians sang psalms and hymns, and Tertullian writes that even before dawn, the Christians honoured God by singing a hymn. Eusebius quotes Philo, who describes the Therapeutae singing psalms and other hymns in solemn rhythm in monodic style with choral responsories.
In the 14th century, there was a proliferation of locally produced verbal tropes set to music, often in a relatively simple homophonic (chordal) manner. French composers of this time employed isorhythm (the use of complex underlying rhythmic repetitions) in motets and sections of the mass. Late medieval church music became more direct, with subtleties of rhythm giving way to a strong feeling for tonality, order, and symmetry.
The Renaissance witnessed the growth of liturgical organ music, which was used when there was no choir available to sing polyphony. The organist alternated between harmonized settings of plainsong hymns, canticles, and masses, and plainsong verses sung by the choir or congregation. The Renaissance also saw the development of contrapuntal Masses by composers such as Jacobus de Kerle, Palestrina, Animuccia, Lasso, and Rosselli. The sacred works of Palestrina, in particular, are known for embodying the ideal application of polyphony in Catholic Church music.
In the 19th century, there was an attempt to revive the 16th-century style of Renaissance sacred polyphony, which had been rediscovered through sources such as Baini's biography of Palestrina and the studies of Thibaut, Kiesewetter, and Winterfeld. The focal points of this reform movement were Munich and Regensburg, and the most influential reform group was the Caecilian Society, founded by F. X. Witt in 1868. The reform ideal was formally approved by Pius IX in 1870.
The Second Vatican Council proclaimed that "the musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art". The Council decreed that this treasure of sacred music must be preserved and fostered with great care.
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Liturgical music
The roots of liturgical music lie in the musical practices of Jewish synagogues, where a cantor would sing an improvised charismatic song. Early Christian services built on this tradition, with a simple refrain or responsorial sung by the congregation. This eventually evolved into various Western chants, culminating in the Gregorian chant during the Carolingian Renaissance.
During the late medieval period, church music became more direct in method and expression, with a strong emphasis on tonality, order, and symmetry. This period saw the emergence of composers like Guillaume Dufay, John Dunstable, Leonel Power, and their contemporaries, who wrote liturgical music for princely chapels and court ceremonies.
The Renaissance witnessed the growth of liturgical organ music and the use of small choirs for polyphonic music. While a cappella choir style is associated with this era, organs and other instruments were also used. Composers like Jakob Obrecht, Jean d’Okeghem, and Josquin des Prez brought clarity and lyricism to liturgical music.
The Second Vatican Council in the 20th century had a significant impact on Catholic liturgical music, calling for wider use of vernacular languages and encouraging active participation from the congregation through singing, responses, and psalmody. The Council recognized the value of the musical tradition and encouraged the preservation and fostering of sacred music.
Today, contemporary Catholic liturgical music encompasses a diverse range of styles, including Gregorian chants, folk hymns, and modern compositions. It often incorporates various instruments like the organ, piano, guitar, and percussion.
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Frequently asked questions
The use of rhythm in Catholic music dates back to early Christian times. The practice of singing Psalms, established by King David, was continued by early Jewish Christians in the Eucharist liturgy. Sources also mention the use of "solemn rhythm" by the Therapeutae, who sang psalms and hymns during their festive repasts.
Liturgical music is a part of religious ceremonies, including Catholic Mass, Anglican Holy Communion, Evensong, Lutheran Divine Service, and Orthodox liturgy. It is composed according to the norms and needs of the various historic liturgies of particular denominations.
Early liturgical music included Gregorian chants, which were recommended by the Catholic Church. During the late 12th and early 13th centuries, the Notre Dame school in Paris produced music of international acclaim, which was performed in monasteries and cathedrals throughout Europe. The 14th century saw a proliferation of locally produced verbal tropes set to music, and the use of isorhythm in French circles.
