• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

  • Donate
  • Our Team
    • Our Editorial Policy
    • Who We Are
    • How To Contact Us
    • Sainte Marie Bulletin Articles
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • KYRIALE • Saint Antoine Daniel
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Repository • “Spanish Music”
    • Ordinary Form Feasts (Sainte-Marie)
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Catechism of Gregorian Rhythm
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster
    • “Wedding March” for lazy organists
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • The Eight Gregorian Modes
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
    • Seven (7) Considerations
Views from the Choir Loft

Lesson 11: Gregorian Rhythm

   If you have not completed all the other lessons, please do so before reading this section. Thanks!

When singing Gregorian chant with 3-4 singers, I normally do not recommend the use of chironomy (i.e. Gregorian conducting gestures). On the other hand, for absolute rhythmic precision, I suppose chironomy would prove helpful even for a very small Schola. Apropos of this statement, I remember listening to a presenter go on and on in unflattering terms about the Solesmes method, vehemently proclaiming what he hoped would be a revelation to us: “I have heard they don’t even use the ictus at Solesmes itself!” He was probably correct in his assessment, but he forgot something very important. He forgot to mention that the Solesmes monks sing together for hours and hours each day, seven days a week, every day of their life. Obviously, in such circumstances, chironomy is not required.

In general, when conducting medium to large sized groups of singers, chironomy is absolutely essential. Without it, two things usually happen:

(1) The choir sings very slowly.

(2) The choir has no idea why the conductor is waving his arms around.

When it comes to rhythmic theories, talk is cheap. What matters most is how one’s choir actually sounds. The Solesmes recordings made under Dom Gajard (along with a few others) serve as the absolute standard by which all other Gregorian Scholæ are judged, at least as far as the author is concerned. I am sure others have different experiences and a completely different perception. However, all I can do is share my experience, and some “tips” regarding rhythm. Hopefully some will find them valuable.

In the traditional Solesmes rhythm, the ictus always denotes “1.” The rhythms are made up of patterns of 2’s and 3’s, which is an eminently beautiful and natural way to organize the rhythm. Here are some examples of ictus (since “ictus” is 4th declension, the plural of “ictus” is “ictus”). The ictus is the little vertical line, circled in red:

Sometimes people say, “But they didn’t count in 2’s and 3’s in the Middle Ages. Why should we?” The correct response is to gently point out that nobody sang from the Vaticana in the Middle Ages, either. The Vaticana (as we’ve discussed already) is an edition based on the entire tradition of mediæval MSS (that “entire” is important), and, incidentally, was influenced by the artistic sensibilities of Abbot Pothier. The 2’s and 3’s added by Mocquereau only exist to help the singers stay together and “feel” the music together. It is a beautiful system that works like a charm.

Incidentally, Joseph Gogniat was one of the biggest critics of Solesmes. He invented his own system that he claimed was much simpler than the “convoluted” Solesmes rhythmic method. However, once I show an example, it will probably be fairly obvious why Gogniat’s system did not catch on:

How does one learn about the “theory” of how to place the various ictus? The easiest way would be to download these:

   Textbook of Gregorian Chant (PDF) — Dom Gregory Suñol

   An Applied Course in Gregorian Chant (PDF) — J. Robert Carroll

   The Rhythm of Plainsong (PDF) — Dom Joseph Gajard

   The Solesmes Method (PDF) — Dom Joseph Gajard

   Le Nombre Musical Grégorien (PDF) — Dom André Mocquereau

   Greorian Chant Analyzed and Studied (PDF) — Marie Pierik

   Gregorian Chant According to the Principles of Dom André Mocquereau (PDF) — Justine Ward

   Section on the Ictus (PDF) — from Mass & Vespers

   Section on the Ictus (PDF) — from the Liber Usualis

   Section on the Ictus (PDF) — from the Parish Book of Chant

If you are interested in criticism of the ictus, Monsignor Francis P. Schmitt and Dom Andrew Gregory Murray were probably the most outspoken critics.

For myself, I normally use a “modified” version of the Solesmes method. For instance, Solesmes goes to great effort to avoid putting the ictus on the tonic accent. When this is done, the effect is light, fluid, and beautiful. However, I have found English-speaking singers sometimes find this counterintuitive, so in syllabic passages I will often place the ictus on the tonic accent. It is also important to remember the injunction in the Liber Usualis at the end of the ictus section:

Finally, regarding the rhythm of Gregorian chant, always bear in mind these rules:

(1) The chant must be sung lightly and not too slow.

(2) All the singers must be perfectly together.

(3) Avoid any “hammering” or heavy accents, especially regarding the tonic accent.

Probably the biggest mistake I have noticed with regard to Gregorian chant is a “Baroque” treatment of the tonic accent. By this I mean, they treat the Latin accent as the Baroque composers do, giving it strong emphasis. Some people even “hammer” the tonic accent. It must be understand that the Gregorian composers set the text in an extremely sophisticated manner, with great depth. The sophistication of the music goes way beyond a mere “pounding” of the tonic accents. For those who would argue that Gregorian chant is based on the tonic accent (and many today do), I can but recommend a careful study of the Gregorian repertory, which reveals so many instances like these:

To quote Garfield the cat, “no force on earth” could make me believe that the tonic accent constitutes the height of the phrase in instances like these, and there are thousands more. Furthermore, I commend to your attention the treatment of the tonic accent in Psalm tones like these:

Again, the Gregorian composers had a much more sophisticated, subtle, mysterious, deep, and artistic way to honor the text than the Baroque composers would do, centuries later. This is not to criticize the Baroque composers, by the way: the Baroque is one of my favorite musical periods. However, we must never apply “Baroque” standards to Cantus Gregorianus.

Willi Apel was quite correct when he warned us never to “blame” earlier composers for not conforming to the Baroque methods of treatment of the tonic accent, and would often cite this example by Dufay:

ADDENDUM: A very nice summary of the Romanian signs (mainly taken from Mocquereau) has been written by Lura Frances Heckenlively: Summary of the Gregorian Romanian Signs (PDF)

GO BACK

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“Gregorian chant is the sacred chant, proper and principal of the Roman Church. Therefore, not only can it be used in all liturgical actions, but unless there are mitigating circumstances, it is preferable to use it instead of other kinds of sacred music.”

— §16, De Musica Sacra (1958)

Recent Posts

  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • The Tallis Scholars
  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)
  • August 2025 • “Colorado Sacred Music Conference”

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2025 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

The election of Pope Leo XIV has been exciting, and we’re filled with hope for our apostolate’s future!

But we’re under pressure to transfer our website to a “subscription model.”

We don’t want to do that. We believe our website should remain free to all.

Our president has written the following letter:

President’s Message (dated 30 May 2025)

Are you able to support us?

clock.png

Time's up