Gregorian Chant Research Articles

Church music degree programmes at the University of Catholic Church Music and Music Education (HfKM) Regensburg (Germany). The history of an unusual university

The Regensburg University of Catholic Church Music and Music Education (HfKM), founded in 1874 as the Regensburg School of Church Music by Franz Xaver Haberl, is the world’s oldest Catholic institution for church music. With international significance from its inception, the institution was officially affiliated with the Pontificio Istituto di Musica Sacra in Rome in 1962. In 1973, it was transformed into an academy and, in 2001, the HfKM was formally established. The university offers Bachelor's and Master's programs in Church Music, Gregorian Chant, and New Sacred Music, emphasizing both artistic and pedagogical training. The curriculum prepares students not only for liturgical and pastoral responsibilities but also for broader cultural roles. Students gain expertise in areas such as Gregorian chant, choir conducting, and organ performance. HfKM maintains close ties with the church, combining artistic training with liturgical practice. This comprehensive education equips students for significant roles in both church and society, ensuring church music’s contribution to religious and cultural life.

Education of church musicians in Krakow in the period from the end of the Second Vatican Council to the present day

The training of church musicians in Cracow in the period after the Second Vatican Council became one of the important tasks of the institutional Church associated with the post-conciliar renewal of the liturgy. In the 1970s, the training of church organists here took on a systematic and organised character. The activities of the Archdiocesan Organist’s College, as well as the Church Music Section at the Liturgical Institute, were constantly evolving. Over time, their tasks were taken over by the Archdiocesan Organist School (now the Archdiocesan Music School) and the Pontifical Academy of Theology in Krakow (now the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Krakow). Since 1997, the Academy of Music in Cracow has also been educating church musicians. At present, Cracow and the Archdiocese of Cracow offer many opportunities of professional music education, which are eagerly used by organists, choir conductors, as well as people passionate about Gregorian chant, liturgical composition and the broadly understood animation of the musical life of churches. The immediate impulse for writing this article was the 25th anniversary of the Cardinal Franciszek Macharski Archdiocesan School of Music, celebrated in 2023, which is an ­important link in the series of educational institutions thanks to which the level of education of church musicians is constantly rising.

Organ Symphony "Noёl" by Paul de Maleingreau and the Christian Mystery of Christmas

The purpose of the work is to reveal the poetic-intonational spiritual-symbolic aspects of the organ symphony "Noël" by P. de Malengro in the direction of stylistic and spiritual-philosophical searches of the Franco-Belgian culture of the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Research methodology. An interdisciplinary, genre-stylistic, historical-cultural approach was essential for this work, allowing to explore the factors contributing to the discovery of the spiritual-semantic specificity of the concept of "symphony" in all its variety of meanings. The scientific novelty of the work is determined by the introduction into musicological use of materials from the organ symphony "Noël" by P. de Malengro, the poetics of which was formed at the intersection of the artistic, spiritual and musical traditions of the Northern Renaissance and French modernism. Conclusions. An overview of the use of the term "symphony" in the cultural-historical and spiritual practice of different eras testifies not only to the breadth of its semantic and applied meanings, but also to the presence of general semantic indicators, in accordance with which a symphony ultimately implies a certain integrity in which merge, different numerous components are combined. A symphony as a musical work is an equally complex and comprehensive concept that represents the most diverse "models" of this genre. The organ symphony "Noël" by P. de Malengro represents the typology of the "spiritual symphony". Its expressiveness, related to the biblical mystery of Christmas, is strengthened by the composer's appeal also to the masterpieces of the Northern Renaissance (Rogir van der Weyden and the van Eyck brothers). Symphony "Noël" is a free composition (4 parts) of the suite-variation type, a "symphony-mystery", the thematic basis of which is Gregorian chants, as well as the corresponding principles of their texture and mode-intonation development (monody, heterophony, various forms of polyphonic development, reproduction of the spiritual and vocal practice of discanting of the Notre Dame School). The poetics of such a "symphony-mystery" is significantly supplemented by an appeal to the timbre qualities of the so-called "symphonic organ", the universalism of performance, dynamic and timbre-intonation capabilities of which turned out to be literally correlated with the universalism of the symphony genre as such.

Exploring the Interplay Between Religious Music, Emotions, and Ethics in Cultures Worldwide

There is no doubt that music significantly impacts people in their daily lives, emotionally and spiritually. This study explores the impact of religious music on people’s well-being, emotions, and ethical values. The paper provides evidence supporting the positive effects of religious music on mental well-being, reducing psychological distress, and enhancing life satisfaction. The literature review showed that within musical and religious activities, individuals have positive associations between certain aspects of musical and religious experiences and specific domains of happiness, such as sociability, satisfaction with life, and well-being that were not seen in correlation with happiness to membership of religion. It also analyzes the role of music in reinforcing morals and ethical standards within religious worship by influencing pro-social behavior and ethical decision-making. Listeners are attracted to the immersive world of religious music in reaction to the songs' symbolic suggestions, which forces them to reflect on moral quandaries and solidify their ethical views. Religious music serves as a tool to encourage a more robust emotional engagement, resulting in a more loyal following for religious groups. Case studies on Bapedi music and Gregorian chants are also reviewed and further support how religious music strengthens spiritual connections, fosters shared values, and contributes to cultural identity within religious communities. In conclusion, religious music profoundly influences an individual’s quality of life, emotions, and moral convictions and, therefore, has an enduring effect on shaping a religious experience for people.

Фактор законченности музыкальной формы: к вопросу об исторической эволюции

The study aims to substantiate that already in the early epochs (the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque), there was a gradual birth of musical form functionality, one of the first signs of which was represented by composers’ awareness of the need to achieve the structural integrity and completeness of a work. The paper shows that the role of the main formative means was played by those compositional factors that were most actively developing in a particular epoch. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the specific identification of these compositional factors: the rhythmic one in the isorhythmic motets of the 14th century, the large-scale structural one in the textual and musical forms of the Renaissance, the functional harmonic one in Baroque works. As a result, it has been found that a change towards a decrease in the tenor’s measure at the last repetition of the melody of Gregorian chant turned out to be the factor of musical form completeness in Ph. de Vitry’s isorhythmic motets; in the motets, madrigals and polyphonic songs of the Renaissance, a large-scale enlargement of the final textual and musical segment of the form performed a similar function; as for the instrumental Baroque genres (preludes, toccatas, fantasias), such was the case with the increased harmonic stability of the last section (a tonic organ point, repetition of cadence turns).

The 15-th century edition of the Pauline missal as a source for Gregorian chant history

There exist only few medieval codices containing musical notation for the Mass in the Pauline rite. The significant source for further research of the Pauline liturgical music is Missale Eremitarum S. Pauli printed by Johannes Amerbach about 1490. The objective of this article is to discuss the blank spaces left especially for the addition of handwritten neumes. The space for musical notation was prepared by the printer for parts of the Ordinarium Missae, in ceremonies of the Palm Sunday and Good Friday. In six remaining copies of the missal the neumes were inscribed in various ways. The study of the provenance shows that these copies were used in the monasteries in several countries.

Historical Accounts of the Indonesian 16th-Century Music Road

This research aims to seek clarity from a historical perspective to trace back the transmission and the remains of Gregorian chants in eastern Indonesia. This study also seeks clarity from a historical perspective to trace back the Indonesian situation prior to the arrival of the Portuguese. The Madjapahit Empire (1293-c1520) dominated historical events as the first attempts to unify the country. The research method employed in this study was a critical historical method to analyze treatises of Gregorian chants in eastern Indonesia, with the remains still being found today and known as the Holy Friday Procession in the islands of Flores. Under Gadjahmada’s hands, an ordinary-ranking officer who succeeded in becoming prime minister (Mahapatih) of the Madjapahit kingdom, the initial attempt at pan-Indonesia was successful, but the whole history of united Indonesia was dramatically declined by the death of Gadjahmada and since then united Indonesia was collapsed. When the Portuguese arrived in Indonesia, followed by the Dutch, British, and Japanese, there was no such single authority in Indonesia. The foreign powers trickily, exacerbated the situation and transformed themselves to strengthen their stronghold as occupiers. This important historical event was not known by the people of Indonesia in general and by the Indonesian historian in particular. Therefore, this research is more important to be done today than later.

Principles and Procedures of the Construction of Opera Scenarios

"The construction of opera scenarios involves the development of a dramatic and narrative framework upon which an opera is built. These scenarios serve as the foundation for the libretto, music, staging, and overall production of the opera. In this introduction, we will explore the principles and procedures that guide the creation of opera scenarios. In summary, constructing an opera scenario is a complex and collaborative process that involves the careful consideration of narrative, character, music, and cultural context. The principles and procedures outlined here provide a foundation for the creation of opera scenarios that can captivate audiences and convey the depth of human emotion through music and drama. Over time, the evolution of the singing voice follows a phenomenon of symbiosis between words and music. The intertwining of the act of speaking with that of singing is constantly found in the concerns of the creators in ancient monody, Greek declamation, Gregorian chant, in the polyphonic style, in the opera performance as well as in all the ramifications of the vocal genre. Keywords: opera scenario construction, musical drama, analysis of the libretto, Eugene Onegin, The Queen of Spades."

Composer Kajiura Yuki and neo-medieval anime soundtracks

This study semiotically interrogates the historical imaginary evinced in the neo-medievalist musical topoi found in Kajiura Yuki’s distinctive music for anime, which is easily recognised by its eclectic mix of sounds and styles gathered from across the globe. Her early scores employed a compositional method practised in Japanese popular music since the 1990s, which treated the creative act as a process of musical curation. This technique is evident in Kajiura’s handling of medieval Gregorian chant, which - as she has explained in interviews - she did not learn from studies in music history but rather from the German band Enigma and their hit album MCMXC a.D. from 1990, where samples of chant were mixed with Euro dance pop and French rap. The anime Noir from 2001 contains an excellent example of her approach, combining chant-based vocal tracks with energetic dance rhythms. Enigma used chant to call on modern neo-medieval tropes that highlight the pleasures of mysticism, religious devotion, and sexuality freed from morality, and Kajiura has replicated this imagery in Noir, making chant the symbol of an ancient criminal order that both worships and overtly sexualises femininity as embodied by the main female characters. Kajiura’s later style expands the technique of the Gregorian chant-influenced sound she developed in her earlier works: shifting away from Latin lyrics to her invented nonsense language of “Kajiurago” (literally “the language of Kajiura” in Japanese), with her ethereal chant delivered primarily by female voices. This shift is partially due to her collaboration with FictionJunction and Kalafina and is also a reflection of the strong female anime protagonists. Her signature sound enlivens the soundscapes of both Fate/Zero (2011) and the blockbuster anime, Demon Slayer (2019). The track “Brace up and run!” opens each episode of the latter, highlighting female voices chanting Kajiurago as a musically haunting reminder of the otherness of the past.

From Choir to Chamber: Negotiating Vocal Music in the Zurich Reformation

Abstract This article discusses the role of music, singing and voice in the development of the Zurich Reformation. It argues that the silencing of musical elements in the course of the Zwinglian liturgical reform was due to a new understanding of devotion, prayer and both individual and communal agency in church services. Zwingli and the Zurich reformers took issue with Gregorian chant in particular and applied a decidedly Erasmian understanding of religious communication as inward, silent devotion. Musical religiosity was transferred from the sacred space of the choir (kor) to the private homes of believers (kämerlin). Moreover, by simultaneously extending the notion of devotion and prayer to practices of everyday urban life, the liturgical reforms contributed to a sacralization and Christianization of the city as an urban space.

Oktoechos Classification and Generation of Liturgical Music using Deep Learning Frameworks

An important feature of the music repertoire of the Syrian tradition is the system of classifying melodies into eight tunes,  called ’oktoe\={c}hos’.  In oktoe\={c}hos tradition, liturgical hymns are sung in eight modes or eight colours (known as eight ’niram’ in Indian tradition). In this paper, recurrent neural network (RNN) models are  used for  oktoe\={c}hos genre classification with the help of musical texture features (MTF) and i-vectors.The performance of the proposed approaches is evaluated using a newly created corpus of liturgical music in the South Indian language, Malayalam. Long short-term memory (LSTM)-based and gated recurrent unit(GRU)-based experiments report the average classification accuracy of  83.76\%  and 77.77\%, respectively, with a significant margin over the i-vector-DNN framework.   The experiments demonstrate the potential of RNN models in learning temporal information through MTF in recognizing eight modes of oktoe\={c}hos system. Furthermore, since the Greek liturgy and Gregorian chant also share similar musical traits with Syrian tradition, the musicological insights observed can potentially be applied to those traditions. Generation of oktoe\={c}hos genre music style has also been discussed using an encoder-decoder framework. The quality of the generated files is evaluated using a  perception test.

A protestáns gregoriánum utóélete az erdélyi kortárs egyházzenei életben

The Afterlife of Protestant Gregorian Chant in Contemporary Transylvanian Church Music. The loss of the genre of Protestant Gregorian chant did not mean the complete disappearance of Gregorian chant from the life of the Protestant churches in Transylvania

『그라두알레 트리플렉스』(Graduale Triplex) 사순 시기 영성체송 분석에 의한 『가톨릭 성가』 선곡 방안

Mass in the Catholic Church consists of the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Communion Antiphon is a song that is sung while receiving Communion, the most important moment in the Eucharistic liturgy. The proper text of the Communion Antiphon reminds us of the key words of the Liturgy of the Word that day. However, at present, the proper text of the Communion Antiphon remains as a sentence, and instead, the Communion song for common times is sung. The limited classification of hymnals and the standardized selection of songs made songs with proper texts hidden. The purpose of this study is to actively help believers sing joyfully, reflecting on the message of the Word of the day by selecting a chant suitable for the proper text of the Communion Antiphon in the liturgy of the Mass. The scope of the study is the proper text of the Communion Antiphon during Lent. The research method is to analyze and utilize the sources of the 11 Communion Antiphons of the Gregorian chant in the 『Graduale Triplex』 and select appropriate songs from the 『Catholic Chant』. Among 『Catholic chant』, 8 songs that matched the proper text were selected. In addition, 15 related songs were selected, such as the lyrics of the proper text, the same liturgical meaning, and the words of the psalms in the Communion. The sources of the Communion Antiphons during Lent are 9 Gospels and 2 Psalms. Looking at the source of the word until the time of resurrection, 1 first reading and 2 second readings are included. The organic relationship between the various sources of the proper text and the liturgical text gave elasticity to the scope of application. One of the four new proper text was changed from the psalms to the gospel, and three songs were changed within the gospel, all of which developed into more specific and active gospel messages. As a result of the research, there were far more songs suitable for the proper text than expected. The richness of the Catholic Hymnal, which was made with the devotion of many people over a long period of time, was revealed. In order to further reveal the true value of Catholic hymnal, it is necessary to supplement the classification of hymnal and the information on the sources of words in more detail. In addition, if we refrain from a uniform selection of songs and select songs based on liturgical texts, the light of the Word and the joy of praise will be doubled. This is because the essence of liturgical chant lies in the Words and prayers. Therefore, the meticulous use of Catholic hymnal is a way to faithfully follow both the spirit of the <Gregorian Chant>, which is entirely centered on the Word, and the <Liturgical Charter>, which focuses on congregational praise. As a follow-up work, I plan to select songs that make use of the proper text of the Communion Antiphons of all liturgical seasons. It is hoped that this study will awaken the importance of the proper text and selection of the Communion Antiphon, and that the proper texts of the Communion Antiphon, which are not found in the Catholic hymnal, will be born as an easy and gracious chant for the congregation.

Psalmu dziedāšanas tradīcija Stirnienes draudzē

Office of the Dead, or officium defunctorum, or saļmes is a form of traditional Catholic music – a complex ritual consisting of several hours long prayers sung at home, dedicated to saving the souls which, in accordance with Catholic provisions, have entered purgatory after death. The main function of this ritual is to pray, basically through singing, for the soul of the deceased. The goal of the study is to research of the tradition’s historical development in Stirniene and monitor its current preservation efforts. Empirical materials from the field research – interviews with local informants, biographical narratives, audio and video recordings – as well as articles in local and regional mass media have been used in the research. The tradition in Latgale was introduced by Jesuits at the end of the 18th century. The first church in Stirniene parish was a Jesuit mission centre in the 18th century. It can be concluded that the primary purpose of the chant is to sing and pray for the soul of the deceased. It can be assumed that the Office of the Dead chanting tradition in Stirniene, just like in other parts of Latgale, could have begun at the end of the 18th century and thus may have existed for more than 200 years. The texts of Christian psalms and the original Gregorian chant have transformed and intertwined with folk singing practices; the ritual or its parts are traditionally transferred orally. Usually, saļmes are sung before and after funerals, on death anniversaries, specifically on November 1 and 2, as well as throughout November and in cases of supernatural occurrences at home. Through two centuries and to this day, Office of the Dead chants in Stirniene is a common religious practice, and almost every family has experienced it, as the chants are a crucial part of the funeral rites. In 2021, Saļmes Stērnīnē was included in the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

“The Chiefs Now in This City:” Indians and the Urban Frontier in Early America. By Colin G. Calloway

The amazing Colin Calloway has produced yet another wonderful—and important—book. This book should and will be used by those teaching courses in Native and colonial history because Calloway brings the two together—in the process, confounding stereotypes and thankfully pushing us ever farther from Turner’s binaries and dividing lines. He notes that “Boundaries between colonial communities and Indian country were porous: people came and went; raided and traded; ate, drank, and smoked together; slept together” (p. 72). Calloway increases the visibility of all. In Chapter 3, Calloway focuses on “the other Indians in town,” those who worked and lived in or near the city—including sailors, traders, slaves. Some became embedded in the urban poor and appeared in court records. The rest of the chapters track visitors to the cities, there for a variety of purposes, including touristic curiosity, but many on diplomatic missions who had been invited by colonial officials. Chapter 4 examines the sad realities of these cities as disease environments in the eighteenth century. Temporary visits could lead to permanent residence in burial grounds. Subsequent chapters cover lodging and dining in both private residences and commercial establishments such as Oeller’s Hotel in Philadelphia. For me, three of the most fascinating moments in the book are the shared Gregorian chant in New Orleans in 1730 between Ursuline nuns and Catholic Illinois Indians “responding in their own language” (p. 150); a frank assessment by Little Turtle (Miami), in conversation with the Comte de Volney in Philadelphia in 1798, on what he would be able to say or do were he to live in Philadelphia (p. 140); and truly unforgettable scenes of Native guests attending events given by Tammany societies in New York and Philadelphia (pp. 164–65). The spectacle of visiting chiefs and society “sachems” exchanging speeches and toasts ought to produce lively classroom discussions about performance and authenticity.

Muzyka wielogłosowa w katedrze gnieźnieńskiej

The article presents a cross-sectional view of musical activity in Gniezno Cathedral from the 16th century to the present day. It attempts to summarize the various polyphonic compositions performed there over the centuries. The development of polyphonic music contributed greatly to the displacement of Gregorian chant, cultivated in the cathedral church since the dawn of time. Musical direction was always given by moderators, who were successive Kapellmeisters, later called directors of music and then directors of the cathedral choir. Some of them, being composers, also provided the musicians with their own works. The vocal and instrumental repertoire represents a variety of musical styles, ranging from religious polyphony to the Viennese classics, the Romantics and contemporary works. Its selection was always determined by the ensemble’s performance capabilities.

Restoration of the Roman Catholic Church Music Traditions of Galicia (From the Nineteenth Century)

The purpose of the research is to highlight the prerequisites and conditions for the development of organ and singing performances of Roman Catholics in Galicia at the intersection of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which influenced the current state of church music development. Research methodology. Based on the principles of objectivity and impartiality, the prerequisites for the development of Roman Catholic music in Galicia since the nineteenth century are considered. The comparative-historical method is used to draw chronological parallels of introducing the Roman Catholic rite to Ukrainian and Polish lands. The structural-functional method was used in the consideration of the process of liturgical performance traditions’ renewal of Roman Catholic music, which began in the nineteenth century and appeared in Galicia due to close interaction with the countries of Western Europe. The influence of the Caecilian and Bernardine movements on sacred art is noted. The historical and retrospective method was used to recreate the historical and social problems of the development of spiritual art in the 19th-20th century. The local and Western European resolutions of the 20th century and several official documents that influenced the renewal of church performance were emphasized. The socio-cultural method was used to indicate the influence of organ schools of the leading musical and educational centers in Lviv, Krakow, Tarnow, and Przemyśl on the improvement of the professional competence of performers. The cultural method was used to cover several artistic and spiritual events with the participation of secular and spiritual groups, thanks to which previously unknown composers have been introduced into scientific circulation. The scientific novelty of the research is that the article highlights the historical and cultural poly-confessional specifics of different ethnic groups' coexistence in the little-studied Galicia. The state of liturgical practice in the Roman Catholic rite is presented, the reasons for the emergence of the Caecilian movement in Europe and its influence on Roman Catholic church singing traditions in Galicia are illuminated, and the importance of official documents of the RCC is emphasized. Some vocal and choral educational institutions and schools for organists in Lviv, Krakow, Przemyśl, and Tarnów were mentioned. Attention is drawn to the intensification of the organization of musical life in the region and the emergence of publishing houses that contributed to the rapid reform of Roman Catholic liturgical performance since the nineteenth century. Conclusions. As a result, it was noted that the church music of the Roman Catholic rite of Galicia in the twentieth century underwent significant updates, returning to Gregorian chant and the canons of polyphonic liturgical music, and the improvement of the level of organ and singing performance led to the study of relevant subjects in modern universities.

The Search for Medieval Music in Africa and Germany, 1891–1961: Scholars, Singers, Missionaries, by Anna Maria Busse Berger

<i>The Search for Medieval Music in Africa and Germany, 1891–1961: Scholars, Singers, Missionaries</i>, by Anna Maria Busse Berger

Gregorian Chant Ordinary Rediscovered – Examples of Using Gregorian Melodies of the Ordinary of the Mass in the 20thand 21st-Century Liturgical Compositions

Official documents referring to laws and principles of music in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church in Roman Rite remind that the Church acknowledges primacy of Gregorian chant but also allows other forms of singing, especially polyphony. It is, however, recommended that people’s participation in the singing of Ordinarium Missae should not be completely excluded. It can be slightly problematic to put those guidelines into practice. Certain suggestions of how to engage both people and a polyphonic choir may be found in selected compositions by Wolfram Menschick, Rev. Zdzisław Bernat and Katarzyna Danel.

The Search for Medieval Music in Africa and Germany, 1891–1961: Scholars, Singers, Missionaries

The Search for Medieval Music in Africa and Germany, 1891–1961: Scholars, Singers, Missionaries