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Harmony, Meter, and Structure.

Similarities Recap.

Meter

Texture

Both Gregorian Chant and Shomyo have no actual meter (Wright 67, Xebec).

Context

Monophony is the only way these pieces are preformed (Wright 66, Xebec).

Contrast

Both Chants are used as a form of prayer in their respective religions

'Gregorian chant does not use time as a dimension in which to set up contrast. Any contrast that does occur is of the mildest sort. Sometimes a passage a soloist will alternate with a full choir' (Wright 66).

Harmony

Both forms lack major contrast. Whither it be: dynamic, rhythmic, or harmonic (Wright 66).

Melodic

Because it is Monophonic there is no harmony in either Gregorian Chant or Shomyo (Wright 66, Xebec).

Structure

Gregorian Chant and Shomyo both have similar melodic contour and use the same melodic styles of singing (syllabic, and melismatic)(Wright 66, Xebec).

Structure can only be analyzed through the orchestration of the voices singing (e.g Antiphony), or through the text they are singing.

As seen in the Taiyo and Dies Irae recordings they are both monophonic and lack any harmony (Wright 66). Along with that lack of Harmony there are no sense of meter in the pieces because of the way they are sung (Wright 67). This greatly affects the structure of the piece. Rather then being based off of a harmonic analysis, the structure now has to be based off of the orchestration of the voices. Causing them to both share the same way of determining form.

Melismatic Style

Syllabic Style

Antiphony Examples

Antiphony

Other key style of Gregorian chant and Shomyo

Dominant style of the Taiyo (sun) Chant.

Taiyo-

First at 1:05. This is an alternation between single voice and Choir

Syllabic singing is a staple of both Gregorian Chant and Shomyo

Jinriki-Hon, a common shomyo chant, uses one pitch (the reciting tone) for the entire chant with each syllable getting sung across one pitch (Hopin 11)

  • Antiphony- The alternation of preformer(s) during the course of a piece (Wright 66).
  • Antiphony is very common in both Gregorian chant and Shomyo (Wright 66).
  • It is seen in the Taiyo (sun chant) for Shomyo, and the Dies Irae piece for Gregorian Chant.
  • Gregorian Chant does not allow the mixing of female and male voices so Antiphony is very important for when a group of both Men and Women wish to sing Gregorian Chant (Wright 66).
  • Shomyo typically only has a soloist alternate with the group, not two choirs alternating.
  • Antihphony is a primary way of deciding the structure of the piece for shomyo and Gregorian Chant. Especially in the Dies Irae where the Men sing a verse of the hymn and then the women sing the next verse in the exact same way as the men before hand.

We are all different but the same

Dies Irae -

first at

:17 This is an alternation between Male and Female choir.

O Greenest Branch by Hildegard of Bingen transitions from Syllabic, to Melismatic very frequently. Such as by 27 seconds in there has been eight instances of syllabic singing changing to Melismatic singing.

Gregorian Chant uses syllabic singing so much that it has been come to be called liturgical recitative (Hopin 11).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Epistle_for_the_Solemn_Mass_of_Easter_Day.ogg

Major Differences Recap

Vocal styles, and tone color

Shomyo has a rougher tone colour to it almost as if the practitioner is attempting to produce overtones similar to Tuvan throat singing.

Gregorian Chant and Shomyo are based on entirely different scales.

Although the Jinriki-Hon (the Shomyo vocalists part) and the Epistole from the Solemn mass of Easter day both use the same technical aspects in that they use syllabic singing it is very simple to tell one from the other. The shomyo vocalists sing as if they are trying to produce an overtone where as the tone colour of the Priest is very clear and concise. This is seen again in the Taiyo, and O Greenest Branch much more prominently. Specifically at thirty seconds into the Taiyo it sounds as if there will be an overtone. This contrasts heavily with O Greenest Branch which is very lyrical and doesn't manipulate the voice.

Finally the frequency in which the styles alternate is a different as well. Where as O Greenest Branch shifts between melismatic singing and syllabic singing styles eight times before twenty seconds is up. The Taiyo hadn't even transitioned once.

While Gregorian Chant can be based on any of the Gregorian modes, Shomyo uses the Yo pentatonic scale exclusively.

Gregorian Chant switches between Melismatic singing and Syllabic singing extremly frequently. However, Shomyo tends to use one style almost exclusivly.

Conclusion

Even though these two distinct genres of music come from different parts of the globe they are very much the same when it comes to both their musical, and cultural properties.

An IB Musical Links Investigation by

Robert Reddy

Gregorian Chant

Secular music of the Catholic Church

The Eight Gregorian Modes

Was based off of the diatonic scales, but soon became based off of the eight Gregorian Modes.

Shomyo

It is Monophonic, and is only vocal (Wright 66).

Discography

Named after Pope Gregory the Great (Wright 66).

Sources

Shomyo As Compared to Gregorian Chant

Dies Irae: Auora Surgit. Naxos. 1994

Epistle for the Solemn Mass of Easter Day: Rick Dechance. 24 June 2006.

Jinriki-Hon/Cantio Ave Virgo Gloriosa: Schola Gregoriana Pragensis & Gjosan-rjú Tendai Sómjó. UNESCO World Heritage Site Live Recording. 2009

O Greenest Branch: Hildegard of Bigen.

Taiyo: Shingon school of Japanese Vajrayana.

It has a heavy focus on the antiphonal or responsorial forms.

Bibliography

  • Traditional Japanese Buddhist Chant music.
  • Oral Practice
  • Uses Yo Pentatonic Scale
  • Shomyo has two sects; The Tendai, and the Shingon. Along with two levels; Rikkyoku and Ryokyoku (Xebec).
  • Uses both Syllabic, and Melismatic styles
  • Almost exclusively Antiphonal or Responsorial.

It does not have an actual meter (Wright 66).

Hoppin, Anthology of Medieval Music p. 11, 2001

Style consists of melismatic, and syllabic singing (Wright 66).

Wright, Craig. Listening to Music. Third ed: Thomson Learning, 2000.

Print.

XEBEC Sound Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.

Yo Pentatonic Scale

Images

Yo scale- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yo_scale_on_D_ascending_%26_descending.png

Eight Gregorian Modes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki File:The_eight_musical_modes.png

Monks http://shichiseikai.com/photosBochum09e.html

Priests http://exultate-bmv.blogspot.com/2011/05/gregorian-chants.html

Monks and Priests http://www.overgrownpath.com/2007/11/buddhist-way-on-internet-radio.html

Analysis focus

To explore the similarities, and differences of Gregorian Chant and Shomyo through focusing on its styles of singing, and Antiphonal structure.

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