Download Review Sheet for Middle Ages

Review Sheet for Middle Ages
Music in the Middle Ages was divided into two types. Sacred music was the music of the
church, secular music was the music of the people.
Pope Gregory established the liturgy of the Catholic Church. The Mass, or worship
service, included the following five parts: Kyrie, Gloria, Agnus Dei, Credo, Sanctus.
The Gregorian Chant developed by Pope Gregory was a form of music sung by clergy
merely to worship and commune with God. Characteristics of the chant are as follows:
Religious text, monophonic, unmetered, Latin, sung by males, no instruments
Composers of secular music in the middle ages were known as troubadours and
trouveres.
Wandering minstrels or jongleurs performed secular music in castles for nobility. These
songs spoke of love and daily life. Characteristics of this music include:
Lyrics in spoken language, meter or steady beat, male and female singers, instruments,
polyphonic
Guillaume de Machaut was a famous composer and poet of the Middle Ages. He
presented beautiful copies of his music to noble patrons. An educated church official, his
best know competition was the Notre Dame Mass.
The term “monophonic” refers to a single melodic line. The term “polyphonic” refers to
several melodic lines.