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eText Bonus Chapter 1
From the Mass for the Feast of Corpus Christi
Chapter at a Glance
Listen to This First
Timbre
Performance: Chilling to Chant
Texture
Melody
Connect Your Playlist: Call-and-Response
Word-Music Relationships
Expand Your Playlist: The Plainchant Mass
Chapter Objectives
After reading this chapter and listening to the work, students should be able to:
B1.3 Describe how plainchant assists in promoting calm and well-being.
from the Mass for the Feast of Corpus Christ.
Key Concepts
plainchant, Mass Ordinary, Mass Propers, responsorial chant, melisma
Chapter Highlight: Plainchant
This plainchant Alleluia illustrates the central role of chant in Christian liturgy. It is a
responsorial chant in which a chor
Chapter Summary
Christi. (Some description of liturgy and the church calendar might be necessary, as not
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all students may be familiar wi
the day (such as Christmas or Easter). The Propers of the Mass are differentiated from
Listening Guide
-music
relationships, and texture. The practice of alternating between soloist and chorus allows
certain parts to be emphasized differently and also contributes to the structure of the
plainchant it is easier for the soloist to learn the B section than to have the entire group
sing a new section.
MyMusicLab Resources
Automated Listening Guide: Plainchant Alleluia:
Feast of Corpus Christi
Chapter Audio: eText Bonus Chapter 1
Discussion Topics and Critical Thinking Questions
Review the difference between the Mass Ordinary and Mass Propers. Why is this
Alleluia described in the chapter as a part of the Mass Propers?
the text?
Medieval composers and artists left their works unsigned. Why was the common
practice? When did it change?
Activities and Exercises
Locate examples of how the Mass Propers and Ordinary fit together
in a liturgical setting.
another example of plainchant (you might use the
Hildegard von Bingen excerpt in Chapter 1). What are the differences and what are the
similarities? What might be the reason for the differences?
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Journaling Prompt
Even though plainchant is, by definition, monophonic, the texture changes in different
types of plainchant. Why do you think this is the case?