Gregorian Chants

-------/\/\/ Gregorian Chant LINK Audio | Gloria Plain Song / Gregorian Chant Timeline BACKGROUND: End of Antiquity (Greco-Roman) Roman Republic Roman Empire Roman Empire carries on traditions established by Greeks NEW CULT ON THE BLOCK: Rise of Christianity First Century CE new religious cult:  figure Jew & Roman subject Yehoshua of Nazareth (aka 'Jesus') teachings focus on: 1.  one god 2.  equality between social classes [comment:  sounds like the current 'oneness' or universality ideology and indoctrination underpinning the international law US-led Western power-grab; establishment of supranational institutions; intrusions on national sovereignty AND intrusions on individuality & choice, in the name of enshrining the rights of various minorities (which always involves obligations on the fettered majority, versus onus on the minority to adapt to the majority); & the entirety of the 'humanitarian' ideology, with its in-step drive alongside capitalism, towards globalisation and centralised control of the planet by ruling capitalist elites.   Now there seems to be a secular god:  it is an outward 'god' of capitalism (its Messiah), & that god is 'man', the labourer, the debt-slave and the consumer.  The oneness/unity and equality spin sounds a lot like Marxism, only they're not looking at economic equality (just dictating a socially Marxist regime, that's not dispossessing the capitalists -- it's dispossessing the people).   And it's a god that demands 'safe spaces' ... LOL ...  If capitalism is the modern-age Messiah, if man is the modern god, then there is also a 'holy spirit' (and that is money/profits/ global markets etc) ... so it's a HOLY TRINITY and profit/money is the Holy Spirit, or something like that.] -- dangerous to Roman power structure [comment:  modern-day secular version of this religion is not at all dangerous to the US-led capitalists who believe they have a right to 'global markets'.  However, it is dangerous to everyone else.   The Capitalist Empire which indoctrinates & pushes for a universal 'love-in', fits in with the agenda pushing for a vast one world human cattle market of producers and consumers, with gradual dismemberment of sovereign nation states and individual peoples as individual peoples with their own identities, cultures and values/moral choices. ] -- in Greece prior to Rome & in Rome, religion polytheistic -- (worship more than one god, system of many gods) -- Roman emperors were also treated as gods themselves -- Christian idea of one god & non-violence  -- was dangerous to polytheistic power structure of Rome -- how would Rome maintain armies and defend borders [comment: Today's threat is: secular capitalist powers outwardly worshipping (ie exploiting) the 'humanitarian' sole 'god', having established various supranational authorities and structures that usurp power from the people of free nations; the use of international law to do much the same; plus failure of states to maintain INDEPENDENT, armed & fully combat ready national armies. Any nation that is incapable of defending itself with military force will cease to exist as a nation, by relying on the continued goodwill and continued existence of others (which comes with obligations that can be exploited & may not always be in national interests). The Christians preaching 'pacifism' but killing in the name of their ideology & torturing heretics etc, makes a mockery of the 'pacifism' preaching ... but the entire package is a mockery, including all the propaganda 'saints' and 'miracles'  ... What a fraud.] -- first three centuries:  persecution of Christians -- Emperor Constantine issues Edict of Milan, 3rd C. -- legalising & protecting Christianity -- under Roman laws, free to worship any god, -- as long as also worshipped the Roman gods & Roman emperors -- due to religious freedom in Rome, Christianity flourished -- Christianity then grew beyond critical mass able to be thwarted -- Christianity arose from cult to religion -- 60 years after Edict of Milan, Emperor Theodosius I -- makes Christianity official Roman state religion -- later, fall of Rome and continued rise of Christianity -- result:  beginning of period of severe unrest, war & famine -- world order cultivated through centuries Greco-Roman -- culture was soon replaced by tribalism and civil war -- eastern part of Roman empire held out better -- the Byzantine empire = abt. 5th C. to 1453 CE -- (capital, Constantinople) fell to Ottoman Turks -- eastern Roman empire gave rise to traditions of -- the Greek & Russian Orthodox churches -- eastern half of Empire, rise of Gregorian chant -- Christians of both the eastern & western portions -- of Roman Empire inherited the Jewish tradition of chanting scripture -- Jews would congregate & chant on specific days -- Jews would chant from Tehillim (ie 'praises' / aka 'Book of Psalms (C.)) -- Jews would chant from Ketuvim -- Tehillim -- first book of the Ketuvim ('Writings') (third section of Hebrew bible) -- 'psalms' = Gk. for 'psalmoi' ('instrumental music') -- many psalms / tehillim are linked to King David    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalms -- Christians share the 'old testament' with Jusaism /sing or intone tehillim -- to 'intone' is to sing from one note -- singing of songs from bible was referred to as psalmedy -- early Christians would meet for communal meals & worship -- at these meals, they would sing hymns & psalms (ie tehillim) -- large, rectangular spaces for gatherings known as 'basilicas' -- early Christians (eg Saint Augustine) -- recognised music's power to influence -- character & mood, similar to Greek convention of ethos -- Augustine & others considered music's power to influence mood -- to best be used for worshipping god -- therefore, non-spiritual music (esp. instrumental music) was deemed sinful -- for this reason, nearly all next 1,000 years of European music is acapella -- ie. all unaccompanied singing with no instruments -- Christianity developed a monastic tradition of intense, isolated worship -- and heavy prayer -- monastic monks developed a system for singing the psalm (tehillim) verses -- & for singing the hymns -- / the difference between the two:     -- psalms (tehillim) = derived from bible     -- hymns have extra biblical sources -- many newly written texts and prayers -- are both songs of praise -- which eventually coalesced into a repertoire -- of chants & bible readings, known as a 'liturgy' -- the songs they sang are defined as 'plain song' -- at least five distinct liturgical repertoires (aka 'dialects') of plain song:     -- Ambrosian (Milanese)     -- Gaelican     -- Mozarabic (Arabised Iberians, Spain - Moorish rule, Christian)     -- Old Roman     -- Gregorian     [ see also:  Andalusi Romance]    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozarabs -- the Old Roman dialect (ie chant) was standardised eventually throughout Christendom -- this repertoire of plain song is known as 'Gregorian chant' -- Pope Gregory I (aka Saint Gregory the Great), the namesake of this musical material -- Pope Gregory I:  ruled as pope from 590 CE to 604 CE -- he lived centuries before the REDISCOVERY of musical notation -- notational systems developing following Antiquity were long forgotten by his time -- for following reason, Gregorian liturgical dialect came to dominate: legend of Saint Gregory:  created as propaganda, in favour of Roman liturgy over others -- legend:  'holy spirit', permutation of the Christian god -- took the form of a dove and dictated the form of the Roman repertoire -- to Saint Gregory -- the propaganda worked:  all the competing chanting -- repertoires were eventually suppressed -- manner of suppression, borne of political alliance between the Franks -- peoples of modern France and Germany, & the Roman popes abt. 752 CE -- formed between the King of the Franks Pepin the First -- & leader of church, Pope Stephen II -- mutually beneficial deal:     -- church needed protection from hostile northern tribes (Lombards)     -- Frankish kings needed formal recognition of hereditary rights to         consolidate their power -- results of alliance successful:     -- Lombards expelled from (now) northern Italy     -- Rome recognised Pepin as official ruler of Frankish lands -- King Pepin actively imported Roman liturgy for official use -- Pepin's son, Charlemagne, completely conquered the Lombards -- and even more actively imported the Roman liturgy -- arriving triumphant into Rome as protector of papacy -- Charlemagne was crowned first Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire -- on Christmas Day of 800 CE -- inception of Holy Roman Empire makes [five (5)] separate permutations of Rome     1.  Roman Republic     2.  Roman Empire     3.  Western Roman Empire - Rome     4.  Eastern Roman Empire - Constantinople (Byzantine empire)     5.  Holy Roman Empire -- Gregorian chant is derived from the OLD ROMAN CHANT DIALECT -- because it evolved in capital city of Christendom (Rome) -- newly inaugurated season of peace led to:  Carolingian Renaissance -- ie. period of philosophical & cultural flourishing in what is today:     France, Germany & Italy -- [propaganda] + political stability = Gregorian chant thrives *comment:  Christendom would have surely entered Greece first?  *comment:  I have added the split east/west Roman empire (above), making it x5 permutations (rather than the four mentioned) above a summary of audio by Brian Jump Audio | Brian Jump Dark Ages retrogression (govt & social, illiteracy rampant, knowledge & philosophy forgotten) --  for:  1,000 years 5th to 15th Century CE Transition from Antiquity to Middle Ages Emperor Theodosius I Theodosius the Great (Flavius Theodosius) issues decree, establishing Christianity official religion of Rome ended state sponsorship for traditional Roman gods introduced a period of prosecution & punishment for non-Christians -- religious turmoil that resulted, contributed to religious instability already evident in civil war and border conflicts with northern barbarians (the Goths) On death of Theodosius, two sons split empire: -- eastern Empire:  Constantinople -- western Empire:  Rome Rome was in freefall, but Christianity was ascending     Gregorian Chant is derived from the old Roman chant dialect, having evolved in the capital city of Christendom  -------/\/\/ LINK | Audio | Dies Mei COMMENT This was really interesting: religion, history & music in one package. Might have to come back to checking some of these links. No time now. Civilisation is only a very thin veneer.  I'm betting there will be another 'fall of Rome' and civilisation will be lost for hundreds of years (if there's survivors after nukes war). *Religion is (a) tradition (b) social control, c) political control, manipulation & opportunism, and (d) one of the means of large common interest groups (values, tradition, heritage etc) organising themselves socially, politically, administratively, culturally etc., a way of maintaining group cohesion/unity; it is a way of asserting political power as a group -- a strategy of having group (leader) interests met; and it is probably a social strategy, which goes back to organisation of large human groups generally.  That's all I can think of, just off the top of my head. I find religion very interesting, as religion is entwined with history, sociology and politics (plus art, music and so much more).  Religion is politics. I think.  LOL  It certainly has an impact -- eg. Pope whoever-his-assumed-pope-name is currently making pronouncements on immigration to USA, and thus undoubtedly attempting to influence domestic US policies (while pushing for much the same in Europe).  These people have no business leading the gullible to vote against their own interests.  But that would most likely be in keeping with the historic role of these Christian religious frauds:  ie screw the masses. I cannot understand why European Christians do not return to the ancient religions of their European ancestors:  at least it would be authentic. NOTE:  if early Christianity quickly reached a 'critical mass' in the Roman Empire, that  could not be repelled by the Roman state, what does that tell Europeans about the potential for the demise of Europe when the 'critical mass' of non-indigenous peoples & non-Western values/ideology/religion/customs is approached etc. Europe will be finished.