Gregorian chant is the archetypical song for the Roman Catholic Church. There are three separate distinct periods, all of which are represented on this recording. The first era, called Gregorian, was roughly 700-850 AD. This is the time of Pope Gregory's school which rigidly codified the music allowed to be sung in churches, and the beginning of the written score for transmission to posterity rather than relying on strictly oral traditions. The Carolingian period is considered from 850-1,000 AD and began to add new styles to the more rigid structure. The medieval period was from 1,000-1,300 AD the styles proliferated immensely. That led the way to modification into secular song. In understanding Gregorian chant, the meaning of one word is particularly important. Melisma means that a number of notes are sung over the duration of a single syllable. The most joyous of the music which Chanticleer performs on this disc is very melismatic. Enjoy!