Medieval Music

Medieval Music

Years: 500-1400

Vocabulary

• Medieval

• Hildegard of Bingen

• Gregorian Chant - a cappella

• Guillaume de Machaut

• sacred vs. secular

• Instruments: Shawm and Sackbut

• Monophonic vs. Polyphonic

Medieval

The time between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance.

Gregorian Chant

-The Pope is the ruler of the Catholic Church.

-Pope Gregory said a dove came to him and told him that chants should be the only type of music permitted in church at this time.

-These chants were named after Pope Gregory.

Gregorian Chant

- No instruments were allowed inside the church.

- These chants were a cappella which means only voices and no instruments.

Multiple Choice

If you went to a Medieval church, what might you hear making music?

• trumpet

• saxophone

• voice

• piano

Hildegard of Bingen

-She was a nun, given to the church by her family.

-She composed the most known MONOPHONIC and SACRED songs of this period.

-These are classified as Gregorian Chants

Multiple Choice

Hildegard of Bingen was...

• a conductor and baker

• a piano player from Medieval times

• a nun and a composer

Monophonic

• One Voice

• There is only one line of music, or one melody. Everyone playing or singing the same pitches.

Sacred

Music that is religious.

O Greenest Branch

Hildegard of Bingen

• 1. O branch of freshest green,

  O hail! Within the windy gusts of saints

  upon a quest you swayed and sprouted forth.

• 2. When it was time, you blossomed in your boughs—

  “Hail, hail!” you heard, for in you seeped the sunlight’s warmth

  like balsam’s sweet perfume.

O Greenest Branch

- is sacred (about religion)

- is monophonic (one tune or melody)

- a cappella (only voices, no instruments)

Multiple Choice

An example of a monophonic song would be

• everyone singing different things

• your favorite song on the radio

• everyone singing the same thing

Polyphonic

• Many voices

• There are many lines of music, or many melodies. Everyone plays or sings different parts.

Secular

Music that is not religious.

Mass of Our Lady

Guillaume de Machaut

• Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison

• This song is sacred

• This song has polyphonic sections and monophonic sections!

Multiple Choice

An example of a polyphonic song would be

• everyone singing different things

• a birthday song

• everyone singing the same thing

Shawm

- related to the oboe

- made of wood

- uses a double reed

Sackbut

- related to the trombone

- brass family

Multiple Choice

The shawm is related to which modern day instrument?

• oboe

• trumpet

• trombone

• piano

Multiple Choice

The sackbut is related to which modern day instrument?

• oboe

• trumpet

• trombone

• piano

Vocabulary

• Medieval

• Hildegard of Bingen

• Gregorian Chant

• Guillaume de Machaut

• sacred vs. secular

• Instruments: Shawm and Sackbut

• Monophonic vs. Polyphonic

Multiple Choice

The opposite of secular is:

• spaghetti

• shawm

• sacred

• shove

Multiple Choice

The opposite of monophonic is:

• polyphonic

• polly

• sackbut

• one voice