The Gregorian chorale is the most important and for many centuries the only type of liturgical singing used in Roman Catholic churches. It is distinguished by special splendor and beauty. The word "Gregorian" is formed on behalf of one pope. You can already guess what his name was. This is Gregory I, who was often called the Great. This man lived in the 6th century AD. He did not suspect that the Gregorian choral among the descendants would be associated with him. Although not everyone remembers him.
Canon of chants, vintage choral record
However, Gregorian chorales appeared much earlier. Its roots stretch even from synagogue singing. But it arose a long time ago. Pope Gregory the Great was the first to record and collect synagogue monodies. Later, he composed the canon of chants based on them, performed in Latin. The ancient records of Gregorian singing (they are indicated by the nemes - the forerunners of modern notes) are dated to the 9th century. How long ago it was … People already knew what Gregorian choral was.
The popularity of Gregorian singing and Umberto Eco
It is curious that Gregorian singing, which for a long time was performed only within the walls of churches, began to be popular with a wide circle of listeners in the 20th century. It would seem that in the last century simple pop music was erected on a pedestal, but this is only at first glance …
The widespread enthusiasm for Gregorianics started about 30 years ago. It may seem strange, but the cinema, or rather, the film adaptation of the work of Umberto Eco called “The Name of the Rose”, laid the foundation for him. She enjoyed the taste of many lovers of good films. A composer named James Hornor and director Jean-Jacques Anot used only Gregorian singing as the soundtrack for mysterious events in the ancient monastery, and did not spoil it with excessive processing. Some directors took note of this coup, and Peter Jackson soon included similar chorales in his Lord of the Rings movie, and George Lucas did the same in Star Wars. Perhaps this is partly why these paintings became cult. Gregorian choraled and ensured success for these films.
Gregorian pop
Back in 1990, a significant event took place: a new style appeared in popular music. Which one? Of course, the Gregorian pop. He had many followers. But the most famous are the bands of "Gregorian", as well as "Enigma", firmly entrenched in the charts and in the souls of fans of popular music, saturated with some mysticism. However, in their songs, the undistorted single-voice vocals were often replaced by a synthesizer. Honestly, it was not quite a genuine Gregorian chorale. But this did not detract from the merits of the compositions of these groups.
Natives of monasteries
And in the next decade, a large number of choirs emerged from the monasteries, as well as churches. Some of them began to refer to popular music. An example that first comes to mind is a group of Cistercian monks who left a monastery named after the Holy Cross of the Lord in Vienna. They became famous in 2008. Correspondents wrote that this is a typical “battle group”, which differs from other similar groups only in that its members are dressed in cassocks. After a couple of years, the Benedictine monks who lived in Avignon won the same popularity.
