Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe during the 9th and 10th centuries, with later additions and redactions. Although popular legend credits Pope Gregory I with inventing Gregorian chant, scholars believe that it arose from a later Carolingian synthesis of the Old Roman chant and Gallican chant.
The Introit Gaudeamus omnes, scripted in square notation in the 14th–15th century Graduale Aboense, honors Henry, patron saint of Finland. Gaudeamus omnes Problems playing this file? See media help.
A dove representing the Holy Spirit sitting on Pope Gregory I's shoulder symbolizes Divine Inspiration
Two plainchants from the Mass Proper, written in adiastematic neumes, from Codex Sangallensis 359 [de]
Antiphonary with Gregorian chants
In music theory, the term mode or modus is used in a number of distinct senses, depending on context.
Excerpt from Boethius' De musica depicting a scale