What is Gregorian Chant?

Original 14th Century chant manuscript

Gregorian Chant is the Catholic Church's original form of sacred music. Sung entirely in Latin, the hymns are considered one of the simplest forms of music. Gregorian Chant was named after Pope Gregory I, more commonly known as St. Gregory the Great. Yet, many agree that Pope Gregory II had a larger role in implanting the Chants into the Catholic Church. Being sung in free rhythm -- without a time signature or meter --  and usually without musical accompaniment, it is easily recognizable. In the original form, no instrumental accompaniment was allowed, but recently, organs can be heard playing in the background of some Gregorian Chants. Additionally, the Chant is monophonic. This means that the singing is done in unison; no harmony is present. Finally, Gregorian Chant is prayer, not just a representation of it. Chanting sacred texts, hymns, the Psalms, readings, the Liturgy of the Hours, or the Roman Catholic Mass in its entirety is a beautiful ritual that has come back into focus and regained popularity in recent years by many Catholics and non-Catholics alike. 

14th Century Gregorian Choir Book displayed in the St. Louis Basilica

Song Generator

Check out this amazing website that allows one to control the different aspects of Gregorian Chant! Simply move the sliders up or down to customize the sound of the music. The hums, reverberations, canons, and bells can all be adjusted to one's liking. Another feature of the site allows the Chants to continually change over time, which is ideal for one who intends to listen to the music for several hours at once. The sound quality is outstanding and the Chants are very relaxing!

Gregorian Voices

History of Gregorian Chant

590 - 604: Gregory the Great's papacy

715-731: Gregory II's papacy

700s - 800s: Charlemagne, the king of the Frankish Kingdom, imposed Gregorian Chant throughout his lands of Europe, instead of the earlier Gallican Chant

800s - 900s: Chant is popularized through all of Western and Central Europe

1030: Benedictine monk Guido d'Arezzo invents a new style of writing and teaching Gregorian Chant, in order to help with the difficult task of memorizing the different Chants

1962: The Second Vatican Council allows the use of native languages in the Mass, causing Gregorian Chant to fall out of popularity

2000s: A revival of Gregorian Chant is seen in the Catholic Church; it reemerges as a sort of connection to centuries before

Watch this short video for an explanation of the origins of Gregorian Chant!

Gregorian Chant Today

Who still sings Gregorian Chant? Isn't is outdated? Today, Gregorian Chant is sung everyday by different religious orders, such as the Benedictine Monks or the Dominican Sisters. In many Catholic Churches, a revival of the plainchant has emerged to counter the modern music of the liturgy. Listeners describe Gregorian Chant as meditative and relaxing, and a type of music that seems to direct one's senses upwards toward the heavens. A well-known musical group, the Vienna Boys Choir, sings Gregorian Chant for concerts and recorded albums in recent years. Even a simple search on Spotify or another music site brings up thousands of Chant albums, playlists, and individual songs.

Gregorian Chant sung by Benedictine Monks

Gregorian Chant sung by Dominican Sisters

Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Nebraska sings Gregorian Chant daily. Their chart-topping album, "Requiem", consisting of 21 unique Chants, was released in 2017. The priests describe Gregorian Chant as "transcending time; it is universal."