Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures, often including a great deal of repetition of musical subphrases, such as Great Responsories and Offertories of Gregorian chant. Chant may be considered speech, music, or a heightened or stylized form of speech. In the later Middle Ages some religious chant evolved into song (forming one of the roots of later Western music).
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Chant as a spiritual practice
Chanting the Name of God is a spiritual practice that is commonly practiced. Chants form part of many religious rituals, and diverse spiritual traditions consider chant a route to spiritual development. Some examples include chant in African and Native American tribal cultures, Gregorian chant, Vedic chant, Jewish liturgical music (chazzanut), Qur'an reading, Baha'i chants, various Buddhist chants, various mantras, and the chanting of psalms and prayers especially in Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran and Anglican churches (see Anglican Chant). Tibetan Buddhist chant involves throat singing, where multiple pitches are produced by each performer. The concept of chanting mantras is of particular significance in many Hindu traditions and other closely related Dharmic Religions. For example, the Hare Krishna movement is based especially on the chanting of Sanskrit Names of God. Japanese Shigin (詩吟), or 'chanted poetry', mirrors Zen principles and is sung from the gut — the locus of power in Zen Buddhism.
Other uses of chant
Chants are used in a variety of settings from ritual to recreation. Supporters or players in sports contests may use them (see football chant). Warriors in ancient times would chant a battle cry. They are also used on protests, and are widely adapted with only a few words changed between topic.
Recently, musical genres such as Hardcore, Grindcore, and other aggressive forms of music have adopted this concept. Many times during a 'breakdown' (the segment of the song where the time signature is half counted or significantly slowed in some way). The singer will recite a chant, the object of this is to get everyone involved and create a feeling of passion throughout the room causing overall reaction to the music, including pits, to be more intense.
See also
- Hymns
- Lyoba
- Mantra
- Japa
- Grindcore
- Hardcore
External links
- Gregorian Chant (newadvent.org) Retrieved June 9, 2007
- BBC Story on UN (bbc.co.uk) Retrieved June 9, 2007
- Guidance on Chanting Hare Krishna (krishna.com) Retrieved June 9, 2007
- A site about Vedic chants (vedamu.org) Retrieved June 9, 2007
- Chanting as spiritual practice by Spiritual Science Research Foundation Retrieved June 9, 2007
- Chants from Indian, Christian, Sufi, and Buddhist Traditions in Streaming Audio Retrieved June 9, 2007
- Traditional Buddhist Chants (Texts and Audio) as in the Buddhist Encyclopedia Retrieved June 9, 2007
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