Plainsong

Stemming from the Middle Ages, plainsong is also known as "Gregorian chant" (after Gregory I, who was Pope from 590-604). [Plainsong] is modal, based on the medieval church modes. It also has flexible rhythm which is articulated by means other than regular accentuation. [Plainsong's] modality and rhythmic flexibility are traits which account for its distinctive sound. Although traditionally sung without harmony and accompaniment, plainsong is also sung congregationally in unison with a harmonized accompaniment. Well-known examples of plainsong hymn tunes are DIVINUM MYSTERIUM ("Of the Father's love begotten") and VENI EMMANUEL ("O come, O come Emmanuel").

[From Sing with Understanding, by Harry Eskew and Hugh McElrath (Nashville: Church Street Press, 2nd edition, 1995.]

There are three styles of plainsong: (1) syllabic, (2) neumatic, and (3) melismatic. Syllabic style has one note for each syllable of text; neumatic style (the more common) has groups of 2 - 4 notes per syllable of text; melismatic style is chant which has one or more sections where there are 10 or more notes per syllable of text. These include particularly the 'Alleluias' which have the 'jubulus,' the melisma sung to the final vowel of the Alleluia and which may extend for unusual lengths, even having their own musical forms (a a b; a a b b cc; etc.). It is from these extended 'Alleluias' that Sequence Hymns later evolved.

[From Harvard's Dictionary of Music and Musicians.]

Psalm Tone

A type of plainsong (Gregorian chant), which is used for chanting prose psalms from the Bible. In the Gregorian tradition, there are 8 tones, one for each of the 8 church modes. The main note in each tone is a reciting note (reciting tone), to which one or more syllables or words are sung. This note is always the 5th scale degree of the mode. The Psalm tone also conforms to the overall structure of the psalm (binary, i.e., a/b). Hence, the first part of the Psalm tone is concerned with setting up the reciting tone and the second part is concerned with the cadence or termination of the verse. The most important feature of this type of chant, as distinguished from ordinary plainsong and the ordinary hymn tune, is that it seeks to accommodate natural speech.

[From Harvard's Dictionary of Music and Musicians.]

See Plainsong