Gregorian chant, unaccompanied sacred plainchant in Latin (and occasionally Greek), was the central tradition of the Roman Catholic Church starting in the 9th century. In this lecture demonstration, we will follow the evolution of plainchant from its germination in ancient Jewish psalmody through its standardization in the early 6th century by Pope Gregory to its use by Charlemagne to consolidate power, its role in the French Revolution, to Vatican II in the 20th century, when Pope John XXIII deemed Gregorian chant outmoded and composers like Maurice Duruflé rebelled by incorporating Gregorian chant into modern music. 

“Gregorian Chant in the 20th Century” will anticipate Classical Uprising’s fall production, “Antidote,” which features Gregorian chant and Duruflé and other modern composers’ use of plainchant. 

Participation in this series is free and includes a discount code for the Antidote concert. 

To register, call the OLLI office at 207-780-4406. Attendance is limited to 50 participants. Hosted in partnership with Classical Uprising and The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. This series leads up to the Antidote concert on October 18 in Portland at 6:00 p.m. and November 1 in Brunswick at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.