Page 135 - Glasbenopedagoški zbornik Akademije za glasbo v Ljubljani / The Journal of Music Education of the Academy of Music in Ljubljana, leto 13, zvezek 27 / Year 13, Issue 27, 2017
P. 135
ena Blaškoviæ, Tihomir Prša, EXPERIENCE AND ATTITUDE OF PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ..
Gregorianics, with Jewish tradition established in the fourth or third century BC.
Liturgical exclamations amen and alleluia are of Hebrew origin. Alongside them, Hebrew
chants most probably came into Christian liturgy as well (Chailley, 2006).
One of the important elements which Gregorian chant inherits from the music of the
aforementioned are melismata, i.e. singing certain word syllables, frequently connected to
singing the last syllable of alleluia exclamation. Such melisma is called jubilus. Very early
in church music’s theory, in the third century, we read about the function of melismata in
St. Augustus, ‘…the one who exclaims doesn’t pronounce the words, but expresses one’s
own joy with unarticulated sounds. In the rapture of his/her cheer, things, which can be
understood, are no longer enough, but one is surrendered to a sort of a happy cry without
words’ (Chailley, 2006, p. 31).
Christians adopt musical theory and philosophy from Greek musical practice. Looking
upon moral interpretations of church modal scales according to Greek ways, Chailley
(2006) states that only Greek musical theory could have provided a solid technical
foundation for church music. However, unlike Greek music, which was also inclined to
chromatics, singing in the Western Church, due to moral reasons, completely abandoned
small intervals. With Boethius and Cassiodorus writings about music, Greek theory
survived the Middle Ages.
We find out about the beginnings of three musical types of Christian singing, which can
represent free forms in the course of liturgical gatherings (Fuèak, 1998), as early as from
the Scripture. In his Epistle to the Ephesians 5, 19 Saint Paul encourages, ‘Talk to one
another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your
heart to the Lord.’ Words of the apostles in 16,25 also testify to purposeful singing in
prayer, ‘About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the
other prisoners were listening to them.’ Cultural dimension of singing is evident in Paul’s
first Epistle to the Corinthians, ‘When you come together and some have praise, some the
wisdom, some revelation, language, explanation – all be it for our betterment.’
Pedagogical-didactical purpose of music is visible in the Epistle to the Colossians 3,16,
‘Let the message of Christdwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another
with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with
gratitude in your hearts.‘
Latin Christian poetry appeared for the first time in the third century and it is the basis of
modern versification and musical rhythmic. Poets of Comodian and Genoa circle cease to
use then obsolete classical metrics and apply the metrics of Latin language of their time.
Later, this poetry will be the foundation of quality medieval hymns and sequences.
Genesis of hymns starts as the Church’s response to heretical poems in strophes. They
were created in the East and they spread to the West in the fourth century. They represent
the folk element in Gregorian chant in the form of stanzas, rhymes and clear rhythm
(Chailley, 2006).
135
Gregorianics, with Jewish tradition established in the fourth or third century BC.
Liturgical exclamations amen and alleluia are of Hebrew origin. Alongside them, Hebrew
chants most probably came into Christian liturgy as well (Chailley, 2006).
One of the important elements which Gregorian chant inherits from the music of the
aforementioned are melismata, i.e. singing certain word syllables, frequently connected to
singing the last syllable of alleluia exclamation. Such melisma is called jubilus. Very early
in church music’s theory, in the third century, we read about the function of melismata in
St. Augustus, ‘…the one who exclaims doesn’t pronounce the words, but expresses one’s
own joy with unarticulated sounds. In the rapture of his/her cheer, things, which can be
understood, are no longer enough, but one is surrendered to a sort of a happy cry without
words’ (Chailley, 2006, p. 31).
Christians adopt musical theory and philosophy from Greek musical practice. Looking
upon moral interpretations of church modal scales according to Greek ways, Chailley
(2006) states that only Greek musical theory could have provided a solid technical
foundation for church music. However, unlike Greek music, which was also inclined to
chromatics, singing in the Western Church, due to moral reasons, completely abandoned
small intervals. With Boethius and Cassiodorus writings about music, Greek theory
survived the Middle Ages.
We find out about the beginnings of three musical types of Christian singing, which can
represent free forms in the course of liturgical gatherings (Fuèak, 1998), as early as from
the Scripture. In his Epistle to the Ephesians 5, 19 Saint Paul encourages, ‘Talk to one
another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your
heart to the Lord.’ Words of the apostles in 16,25 also testify to purposeful singing in
prayer, ‘About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the
other prisoners were listening to them.’ Cultural dimension of singing is evident in Paul’s
first Epistle to the Corinthians, ‘When you come together and some have praise, some the
wisdom, some revelation, language, explanation – all be it for our betterment.’
Pedagogical-didactical purpose of music is visible in the Epistle to the Colossians 3,16,
‘Let the message of Christdwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another
with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with
gratitude in your hearts.‘
Latin Christian poetry appeared for the first time in the third century and it is the basis of
modern versification and musical rhythmic. Poets of Comodian and Genoa circle cease to
use then obsolete classical metrics and apply the metrics of Latin language of their time.
Later, this poetry will be the foundation of quality medieval hymns and sequences.
Genesis of hymns starts as the Church’s response to heretical poems in strophes. They
were created in the East and they spread to the West in the fourth century. They represent
the folk element in Gregorian chant in the form of stanzas, rhymes and clear rhythm
(Chailley, 2006).
135
