Definition for Gregorian Chant
From Biology Forums Dictionary
Gregorian chant (named for Pope Gregory I [540-604]) comprises a body of sacred—that is, religious—music also called chant, plainchant, or plainsong. Chant was vocal and took the form of a single melodic line (monophony) using notes relatively near each other on the musical scale. The haunting, undulating character of early chant possibly points to Near Eastern origins. Chants were sung in a flexible tempo with unmeasured rhythms following the natural accents of normal Latin speech.
