Music Lecture

I don’t have much of a music background so I found it harder to connect and be more involved in the music lectures. However, I was impressed with many classmates and their knowledge of music. I always wished I had learned to play the piano or another musical instrument and rock band does not count. What I did find interesting that we discussed in the lecture is the use of Gregorian Chants. While on my mission in South Carolina I was able to attend a Mepkin Abbey hear the use of Gregorian Chants used during one of their worship meetings. When I first hear it I actually found it to be enjoyable. It was interesting to see how much they would fluctuate between different notes and sometimes you could hear how one syllable would be sung my many different notes. It was definitely Neumatic or Melismatic. There unison chanting or singing echoed through the hall in which we were sitting in and continued for at least 10 minutes, or at least if felt like 10 minutes. Although their singing was interesting at first, I do remember getting restless having to sit there and listen to their way of music. Their chant seem to all sound the same as if there was no diversification and all the notes began to sound the same. You also could not understand what the heck they were saying. I remember not knowing if they were even speaking English. I also remember the priest sitting on opposite sides of the room facing each other. They therefore looked as if they were singing to each other across the room. Having experienced a chant being used in worship, I found it interesting to learn of how those types of chants came about to be used in church services. I could only imagine how hard it would be for those in the congregation to understand, yet sing along with the chants. What I would like to see is a piece of sheet music for a melismatic chant or even a polyphonic chant. I can only image how difficult a piece of music like that would be to read because of the many notes that belong to a single syllabi let along the numerous pages of music because of how long the chants lasted. Even through my little experience with some chanting, I can see how difficult it would be for members in the congregation to understand what is being sung in the chants, especially since the chants consumed the majority of their church. For this reason, it made since for clergy members to gather and decide to change they way music was sung in services. I mean, I have a hard enough time understanding what is going when the congregation sings in the church I attend, so for Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina to come and reform the way music was sung in Mass must have answered the prayers of many clergy and congregation members. To sum things up, I do have to say that I enjoyed the music lectures given in class. I appreciated the examples that we were able to listen too. I mean, it would be kinda pointless to learn of something about music and then not hear it in action. This also helped me to comprehend the differences between the music styles. I am just glad that I have had the opportunity to be able to listen to a Gregorian Chant being performed during a church services. How many people can say that? Probably more than I think!