Meaning of Chant in Music
In music, a **chant** refers to the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants can range from simple melodies involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures, often including a great deal of repetition of musical subphrases. Chant can be considered speech, music, or a heightened or stylized form of speech. It is often used in religious or spiritual contexts, such as in church services, where it may involve the singing or intoning of psalms, canticles, or other liturgical texts.
Chant has a long history and is considered one of the earliest forms of Western music. In the later Middle Ages, some religious chants evolved into songs, forming one of the roots of later Western music.
It's important to note that chanting can also be found outside of religious contexts. For example, chants can be used as battle cries, as expressions of protest, or as calls of support by sports fans. In these cases, chanting serves as a rhythmic and repetitive form of expression.
Overall, chant is a form of musical expression characterized by repetitive patterns of words or sounds, often used in religious, spiritual, or ceremonial settings, as well as in other contexts for various purposes.
1. A sacred song, usually harmonized in four parts to which scripture passages are set, part of the words being recited ad libitum, and part sung in strict tempo.
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