Ever wonder where solfège/solmization syllables come from? The Gregorian chant hymn "Ut queant laxis" for the feast of John the Baptist (June 24th)! Read more here…
Cantare super librum
We know people improvised over chant melodies, but what did that REALLY involve, and how did it sound? Early Music Sources explains this fascinating practice!
Chant fragments
My friend Anna de Bakker is working on a fantastic project to trace what happened to medieval chant books - check it out!
Widor: Symphonie Romane
Chant melodies inspired instrumental works as well as vocal. Check out the chant melody below (the “Haec dies” for Easter Day) and then listen to how Widor used it in his magnificent Symphonie Romane (performed in the very building for which it was written).
Chant History - Solesmes
Did last week’s post about chant catch your interest? Read more about Solesmes and why it matters for Christian liturgical chant here!
Gregorian chant
How much do you really know about the history of chant in the Christian church? Early Music Sources has got you covered!
How to read chant notation
Next up in Early Music Monday, a quick and dirty guide to reading neumes and chant notation! There are many different opinions on the “right” way to perform chant, but the basics of how neumes should be read are the same for all of them.