# Who likes Gregorian Chant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 12, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608 "2003-08-12T07:55:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Byzantium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@Byzantium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Byzantium)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/1 "2003-08-12T07:55:30Z")
the music in the church… anyone knows? ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/2 "2003-08-12T09:43:01Z")
Ummm… I do. Was that the question? ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/3 "2003-08-12T10:25:02Z")
I like it. I find it restful and very conducive to thinking- I’ll sometimes listen to it when I’m writing or when I can’t sleep. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/4 "2003-08-12T11:34:11Z")
If it’s sung with the deep bass voices (like the Russian Orthodox choirs I’ve heard in movies) yes. If not, maybe. If it’s in Latin, maybe. If English, no. ---
**Author:** ![godzillatemple](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/49beb7/32.png) [@godzillatemple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/godzillatemple)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/5 "2003-08-12T12:00:01Z")
I find it can get a bit monotonous after awhile, personally. I prefer so-called “harmonized hymns” which came after gregorian chants. Basically, a verse of chant is sung by one voice part, and then the rest of the choir sings a harmonized version of it. Then, another verse of chant is sung, and it gets harmonized, etc. Welcome to the board, BTW! Barry ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/6 "2003-08-12T13:16:34Z")
I do. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/7 "2003-08-12T13:55:40Z")
One of my favorite Christmas CDs is that of a Gregorian chant mass. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/8 "2003-08-12T14:36:45Z")
I do. However, I greatly prefer interpretations of it that are not dependent on the Solesmes interpretation (as exemplified by the Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos recordings: what most people think of as Gregorian chant). If you like Gregorian chant, you might check out some of the recordings of pre-Gregorian chant traditions, such as Ambrosian, Old Roman, and Beneventan. They sound much more Eastern, and really show the Byzantine influences on Western chant. Schola Hungarica and Ensemble Organum are two groups that have produced some solid work in this area. ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/9 "2003-08-12T15:22:41Z")
I do too. ---
**Author:** ![Shiva418](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Shiva418](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva418)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/10 "2003-08-12T15:37:52Z")
Anyone who likes chants should check out the music of Hildegard von Bingen. It is 10th century German music that is very harmonic and melodious. Many modern recordings combine the chants with period instruments, the result of which is excellent. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/11 "2003-08-12T18:15:52Z")
Shiva148- I second Hildegard (btw, I think she was 13th century). A decent intro to her is the VISION CD tho that is jazzed-up, but it gives one a taste of what to expect. The CDs by Sequentia are more authentic. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/12 "2003-08-12T18:19:52Z")
Depends; I like some type of Gregorian chant. If its the dark, gothic-sounding Russian stuff, then I love it. But I can’t stand the latin kind, or any of the stuff involving single female singers, or any of the modernized stuff put jazzy backgrounds. Can anyone recommend any good Russian stuff? ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/13 "2003-08-12T19:31:34Z")
Russian Gregorian chant? Wow… I knew that the Kievan and Obikhod chants had Western influences, but I didn’t know it went that far 😛 . [www.musicarussia.com](http://www.musicarussia.com) is a great repository of Russian chant stuff. If you’re just starting out, you can’t go wrong with Rachmaninov’s setting of vespers. The Russian Patriarchate Choir has put out a lot of good stuff. Some of the major composers of Russian church music are Bortniansky (the big one), Chesnokov, Archangelsky, Kastalsky, Lvovsky. Most Russian choral music is just great big elaborations on ancient, often quite simple, plainchant melodies, which I’ve unfortunately not seen recorded that often, as while they are perfectly suited for use in actual church services, if listened to just as music, they’d be about as exciting as Gregorian psalm tones. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/14 "2003-08-12T21:46:44Z")
I do like to listen to Gregorian chant occasionally. But many of the groups swoop up to the first note of a phrase, which really bugs me. However, I just heard Chanticleer’s CD of chant, and they don’t swoop. Thank goodness. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/15 "2003-08-12T22:12:04Z")
One more. Gregorian chant sends shivers up and down my spine! CJ ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/16 "2003-08-12T23:19:33Z")
If you get a chance, try listening to **“Still I’m Sad” by the Yardbirds** - circa 1966. Because they wrote it, perhaps it is the most modern Gregorian chant . (Unless there is a big market out there for new Gregorian chants with people writing new ones all the time.) Anyway, the Yardbirds were a very innovative group. This one is in the traditional style with their producer (Giorgi Gomelski) singing the deep bass part. ---
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/17 "2003-08-13T03:46:20Z")
I like it! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shiva418](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@Shiva418](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva418)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/18 "2003-08-13T04:10:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FriarTed \* > **btw, I think she was 13th century** [nitpick] According to _Hildigard von Bingen’s Mystical Visions_ (p. ix) her dates are 1098-1179 which makes both of us wrong. 😉 [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/19 "2003-08-13T06:15:53Z")
Google fixed me up but, for convenience, that site is [http://www.musicarussia. **org** /](http://www.musicarussia.org/). Yes, I’m interested too. ---
**Author:** ![jinty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jinty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinty)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608/20 "2003-08-13T12:43:33Z")
Well, loud rock music with fuzzy electric guitars is my _normal_ choice of auditory drug, but… Allegri’s **Miserere mei Deus** makes my hair stand on end and my blood freeze in my veins. Check this sample on [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000059GLW/ref%3Dnosim/goodmusicguideco/102-8881602-9501759). Also has info about this piece’s intriguing history. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-likes-gregorian-chant/194608.md?page=2)