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Scan 94
A dictionary of musical terms, 1889
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1CHANT—CHANTERRES.
3In the following example (from the "Harmony of Sion") the chant is compressed into our bars.
5We praise Thee, O God: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.
7And Dr. Boyce, in his "Cathedral Music," writes the Venite to the chant ascribed to Tallis thus:
9O come, let us sing unto the Lord,
10Let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.
12The method of chanting the Psalms adopted in the present day is for each of the two divisions of the choir to sing a verse alternately. In some places where a double chant is used the whole of the chant is sung to two verses by each side in turn. In one cathedral (Oxford) each side sings one half of a verse only. In consequence of this custom of the alternate chanting of the Psalms, it is supposed that wherever alternate singing is mentioned in ancient records, chanting is meant. The objections entertained against chanting by the followers of Wickliffe, and in later time by those of Calvin, were expressed in violent terms, not altogether necessary to repeat here. It is true these reformers approved of the people joining "with one voice in a plain tune, but not of tossing the Psalms from one side to the other with intermingling of organs." Less moderate in their deeds than in their words, the Puritans, when in power during the Commonwealth, destroyed all organs and every music-book they could lay their hands upon. Metrical psalmody supplied the place of chanting, the Psalms were rarely if ever sung, and so, in contradistinction to Sternhold and Hopkins, or Tate and Brady, were called the "Reading Psalms," a practice continued as lately as the year 1873, when the Psalms for the day sung at the meeting of the Charity Children in St. Paul's Cathedral were so called. Chanting was regarded as essentially Popish, and alternate singing an abomination even among church people. It was never heard in parish churches in the last century, the cathedrals alone retaining the traditional use. By degrees a change was effected; the unclean thing was handled without any alarming effect, and even Dissenters changed their opinions upon the subject. Instead of condemning chanting, they adopted it. Dr. Channing thought it "the most purely Protestant music;" Mr. Newman Hall considered it "a homage to the Bible, calculated to make the Word of God better known, appreciated, and loved;" others would "by no means have it banished;" and the preface to the fourth edition of a little book called "Euphonia" (1870), designed to familiarise Non-conformists with the principles of chanting, states that "the objections entertained by many to the ancient practice of chanting having been much diminished, there is now a growing feeling in favour of singing portions of the Bible in the very words of Scripture, rather than through the medium of metrical versions exclusively." This book, which is historically valuable, contains one hundred portions of Scripture pointed for chanting, together with a selection of familiar, if not good, Anglican chants; the principle guiding the choice being liveliness of melody and general tunefulness. These facts tend to show that the usefulness of chanting is in process of general recognition by "all who profess and call themselves Christians;" that it is no longer held to be the type of a peculiarity of religious opinion; that there is a mutual interchange of means towards a spiritual end; that whereas one side does not disdain to encourage the use of metrical psalmody in its services, the other borrows chanting, defending it as "a simple but impressive mode of worship."
14Chants have been found convenient means of rendering hymns of irregular metre, or any hymn of which a simple musical treatment is required.
16Chant (Fr.) (1) Song, tune. (2) The voice part or melody.
18Chantant (Fr.) Singing, musical, as café chantant, a musical coffee-house.
20Chant en ison, or chant égal (Fr.) (1) The name of a species of chant, consisting of two sounds only, which was adopted by many of the old religious orders. (2) Monotone.
22Chanter. (1) A name given to the singing priest on duty. (2) A lay vicar.
24Chanter à livre ouvert (Fr.) To sing at sight.
26Chanterelle (Fr.) (1) The first or highest string upon instruments played with a bow. The E string of the violin, and the A of the viola and violoncello. (2) The highest string of a guitar or lute.
28Chanterres (Fr.) A name given to ballad
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