This period represents almost a thousand years of western musical development.   Much of the music of this period has been lost.  This period is also called the Middle Ages and the Dark Ages.   Many people died of disease during this period.  

Most of the composers of this time are unknown.  Put another way, they are anonymous.  It was not acceptable for them to take credit for their work, so they didn't sign their compositions.  They didn't want to be thought of as bragging.  They were told it would make God unhappy if they took credit for what they created.    

During this time most music was not written down.  Composers who did write their music down usually worked for the Catholic Church.  The Church could afford to buy the materials the composers would need to write music.  People outside the Church were too poor to buy what was needed to compose music.  

As time went on, music became more complicated.  It was obvious that someone needed to make up some rules for writing down music.  That person was Pope Gregory.

Pope Gregory l declared that music be standardized.  That means that musicians and composers had to use the same rules when writing and performing their music.   This music can still be heard today.  It is called Gregorian chant.

Here are some terms which help explain the music of the Medieval period:

Secular music:  This is non-religious music.  Traveling musicians called troubadours would go from town to town playing love songs.  They learned their music by ear.  Drums, harps, recorders, and bagpipes were popular instruments for these wandering musicians.  This music was usually not written down.  Listen to the love song, Flow My Tears, by the English composer John Dowland.

Sacred music:  This is religious music.   Most of the music of the early Medieval period was written for the Catholic Church.  We know what it sounds like today because someone took the time to write down the tunes.        

Plainchant is a simple melody without harmony or rhythm.  This was the music of the early Medieval period.  It is also called Gregorian Chant.  

Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France.

Polyphonic music: This is music for more than one voice or part.  This was the music of the later Medieval period.  This was also the beginning of harmony.  

To learn more about the Medieval period, visit this page http://www.theviolin.freeserve.co.uk/medieval.htm

To learn more about Medieval instruments, visit this page http://www.s-hamilton.k12.ia.us/antiqua/instrumt.html

To learn more of this period, visit this page http://library.advanced.org/16020/data/eng/text/education/theory/medieval.html

To hear more Gregorian chants, visit this page http://comp.uark.edu/~rlee/midi/

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