Plainsong

Plainsong (also plainchant; Latin: cantus planus) is a body of chants used in the liturgies of the Western Church. Though the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Western Church did not split until long after the origin of plainsong, Byzantine chants are generally not classified as plainsong.

Plainsong is monophonic, consisting of a single, unaccompanied melodic line. Its rhythm is generally freer than the metered rhythm of later Western music.

History

Plainsong developed during the earliest centuries of Christianity, influenced possibly by the music of the Jewish synagogue and certainly by the Greek modal system. It has its own system of notation, employing a stave of four lines instead of five.

Two methods of singing psalms or other chants are responsorial and antiphonal. In responsorial singing, the soloist (or choir) sings a series of verses, each one followed by a response from the choir (or congregation). In antiphonal singing, the verses are sung alternately by soloist and choir, or by choir and congregation. It is probable that even in the early period the two methods caused that differentiation in the style of musical composition which is observed throughout the later history of plain chant, the choral compositions being of a simple kind, the solo compositions more elaborate, using a more extended compass of melodies and longer groups of notes on single syllables. A marked feature in plain chant is the use of the same melody for various texts. This is quite typical for the ordinary psalmody in which the same formula, the "psalm tone", is used for all the verses of a psalm, just as in a hymn or a folk song the same melody is used for the various stanzas.

Plainsong (disambiguation)

Plainsong may refer to:

Voices (Chris Young song)

"Voices" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Chris Young. After charting in mid-2008 on the Hot Country Songs charts, "Voices" was re-released in July 2010 following Young's first two Number one singles, "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)" and "The Man I Want to Be." The song is included on his album The Man I Want to Be, as well as a digital extended play of the same title. "Voices" became Young's third-consecutive Number One hit for the chart week ending February 19, 2011. The song spent 20 weeks on the Hot Country Songs chart during its first run plus 31 more weeks in its second run during its rise to #1. The song was written by Young, Chris Tompkins and Craig Wiseman.

History

At the 2008 CMA Music Fest, Young offered fans the opportunity to make personal recordings of dedications to special people in their lives. These fans received e-mails containing the song and the dedications.

Young told The Boot that he wanted to re-release it because it was popular with his fans. It was accompanied by a digital extended play of the same title, comprising that song and three cover songs, "to share with fans some of the musical voices that helped make me the man I am today."

Voices (Murray Head album)

Voices is a studio album by Murray Head. It was released in 1981.

Track listing

Personnel

Voices (Claire Hamill album)

Voices is the sixth album by English singer-songwriter Claire Hamill, released in 1986. The title refers to the fact that the album's mostly-instrumental music is entirely a capella, created by sampling and multi-tracking Hamill's voice.

Track listing

All songs written by Hamill.

Personnel

References

External links