Plainsong, also called plainchant, is a type of music used in religious services of the Western Church. The term "plainsong" refers to sacred songs written in Latin. This style of music was the main form of church music in Western Christianity until the ninth century, when music with multiple melodies, called polyphony, was introduced.

Plainsong songs have a single melody and a rhythm that does not follow a strict beat. This rhythm is often described as more free-flowing compared to the structured rhythms of later music. Traditionally, these songs were sung without musical accompaniment. However, recent research suggests that some chants were sometimes performed with accompaniment, a practice found in many cultures and regions.

There are three main types of melodies in plainsong: syllabic, neumatic, and melismatic. The melismatic style, which features long, flowing melodies, is still used in some Middle Eastern music today.

Although the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church did not separate until after plainsong was created, the chants used in the Eastern Orthodox Church, called Byzantine chants, are not considered plainsong.

History

Plainsong developed during the earliest centuries of Christianity. It may have been influenced by Jewish synagogue music and was certainly shaped by the Greek modal system. Plainsong has its own system of notation.

As the number of chants in the church's collection grew, church officials needed a better way to standardize the music. A special form of musical notation called neumes was created to help organize the music and give performers and listeners a clear reference. Neumes were placed above the words of chants to help singers remember the melody. These symbols showed the general shape of the melody but did not indicate exact pitches or intervals, so singers had to learn the music by ear. It was not until the 11th century that a system was developed to place neumes on a four-line staff, which allowed music to be written accurately. In the plainsong mass Orbis Factor, notes for each word of the text are grouped together. Their position on the staff shows their pitch relative to one another, and dots after some notes indicate longer sounds. A vertical line after the word Kyrie shows where a singer may take a breath.

Many early plainsong manuscripts were destroyed due to war, deliberate damage, and natural causes like water, fire, and poor environmental conditions. The Toledo Cathedral in Spain has one of the world's largest collections of plainsong manuscripts related to Western Christianity. This collection includes 170 volumes of plainsong chants used in processions, Mass, and religious services.

There are three ways to sing psalms or other chants: responsorial, antiphonal, and solo. In responsorial singing, a soloist or choir sings verses, followed by a response from the choir or congregation. In antiphonal singing, verses are sung alternately by a soloist and choir or between the choir and congregation. These two methods likely led to differences in musical style over time. Choral compositions were simpler, while solo compositions were more complex, using longer melodies and more notes on single syllables. The third type of plainsong performance is solo singing by a choir or individual. A common feature of plainsong is the use of the same melody for different texts. This is typical in psalmody, where the same "psalm tone" is used for all verses of a psalm, just as a single melody might be used for different stanzas in a hymn or folk song.

Gregorian chant is a type of plainsong named after Pope Gregory I, but he did not create it. The connection between Gregory I and the chant may be based on a mistaken identification of a figure named "Gregorius," likely Pope Gregory II, with Gregory I. The term "Gregorian Chant" is often incorrectly used as a synonym for plainsong.

For many centuries, different styles of plainsong existed at the same time. Standardization on Gregorian chant was not fully completed in Italy until the 12th century. Plainsong represents the first revival of musical notation after the ancient Greek system was lost.

In the late 9th century, plainsong began to change into a style called organum, which led to the development of polyphony (music with multiple independent melodies). When polyphony reached its peak in the 16th century, plainsong was less popular and nearly forgotten.

There was a major revival of plainsong in the 19th century, when efforts were made to restore the correct notation and performance style of old plainsong collections. Monks at Solesmes Abbey in northern France played a key role in this work. After the Second Vatican Council and the introduction of the vernacular Mass, use of plainsong in the Catholic Church declined, becoming mostly limited to monastic orders and groups celebrating the traditional Latin Mass (also called the Tridentine Mass). Since Pope Benedict XVI's Summorum Pontificum, use of the Tridentine rite has increased, along with other papal guidance on liturgical music, leading to a new plainsong revival.

The Plainsong and Medieval Music Society was founded in 1888 to promote the performance and study of liturgical chant and medieval polyphony.

Interest in plainsong grew in 1950s Britain, especially among left-wing religious and musical groups connected to Gustav Holst and George B. Chambers. In the late 1980s, plainsong became popular as music for relaxation, and several recordings of plainsong reached "classical-chart hits."

Chant types and traditions

There are different kinds of plainchant. Syllabic chants are the simplest type. Each syllable in the text is usually sung with one note. Hymns and parts of the mass, such as the Gloria and Credo, are often written as syllabic chants. Neumatic chants use several notes for each syllable. These are commonly used for short texts like introits and parts of the mass, such as the Sanctus and Agnus Dei. Some chants mix syllabic singing with occasional melismas, which are groups of several notes sung on one syllable. In the example given, the word "eleison" has a nine-note melisma on its first syllable.

Gregorian chant is still used today. However, for much of its history, plainchant had different local styles connected to variations in church services. For example, in England, the Sarum rite had its own chant. Other traditions included the Ambrosian and Visigothic chants. Some monastic groups, like the Dominicans, also developed their own unique chant styles.

Composers

Plainchant is usually anonymous, as is suitable for music used in worship. A few composers are known, including Adam of Saint Victor, who lived around 1068 to 1146 and wrote many Latin hymns. Hildegard of Bingen, a nun who lived in the 12th century, composed 71 pieces used in religious services. Henri Dumont wrote five plainchant mass settings in 1660. Notker Balbulus, also known as Notker the Stammerer, who lived from about 840 to 912, composed hymn chants and sequences. Hermannus Contractus, also known as Hermann of Reichenau, who lived from 1013 to 1054, is known as the composer of several popular chants, including the Salve Regina and the Alma Redemptoris Mater.

Modes

Plainchant uses a special system of modes to determine the pitch relationships of each line on the musical staff. This system is different from the mode system used in ancient Greek music.