Gregorian chant is an ancient form of sacred music used in liturgical worship and prayer. Defined by a monophonic (meaning a single melody without harmony or chords), unaccompanied song, this type of chant focuses the singer’s mind on the content of the prayer being sung, which makes it uniquely suited for use in the Mass.

Dating to the first millennium, it derives its name from Pope St. Gregory the Great, though scholarship is unclear on when exactly this type of chant originated. Prior to the Second Vatican Council, it was standard to use Gregorian chant in the Roman Rite Mass. Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on Divine Worship promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1963, asserts that Gregorian chant is “specially suited to the Roman liturgy…(and) should be given pride of place in liturgical services.”

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