Hymns
Matthew Cheung Salisbury
Although its functional origin as a liturgical practice may be linked to the psalms, readings, and prayers of Jewish synagogue worship around time Christ, history medieval hymnody is, in main, Christian Latin poetry. Influenced first by early hymn-writers’ education classical grammar rhetoric, hymn quickly assumed role assigned it Augustine: “the praise God, when sung,” framed broadly at first, then acquiring typical habits meter rhyme specific function. Poetic texts penned authors attained fame were into collective practice. They joined newly-written hymns, constructed with context mind often written for particular occasion (i.e., observance saint’s day). Some later poetry served more overtly devotional purposes. The earliest extant hymns Ambrose Milan 4th century. These, together others, incorporated structures liturgy set out architects monastic life, including Saint Benedict. Other “hymns” drawn from sacred longer form across West, many through Carolingian Renaissance. Even occasions calendar up end Middle Ages, anonymous but some literary luminaries such Peter Abelard Thomas Aquinas. These proper replaced those day or relevant portion Common Saints. By Augustine’s definition, are sung praises, relatively little work has been done on music which much extensively studied sung. This consequence two factors. First, melodies interchangeable, since had limited number meters. Second, they tended vary quite considerably. Hiley’s Western Plainchant: A handbook (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993) suggests that thirty fewer same whole Europe. do not always correspond conventions other terms structure, cadence, text-setting, making them difficult compare chants genres.