What is the difference between Gregorian chant and other forms of chant?
In English, we are dealing with cantilation (heightened form of speech that uses melodic patterns to serve the Word of God) these patterns that have been passed down from time immemorial, and have served the adorning of Scriptural and other sacred texts in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, and now in English. These patterns are common to all forms of chant, families of chant melodies, in the West, and many in the East. The requirements of the language determine how the melodic patterns serve the sacred texts. The blending together of text and melody is called the art of cantilation. The two-volume Sacred Bridge by Eric Werner provides a detailed treatment for those interested in learning more. How the art of cantilation is applied to specific texts has had similarities and differences in various geographical languages. Hence, various families of cantilation developed over the centuries. These families are more remarkable for their similarities than their differences, although they may have spe
