Ecclesiastical Mode (Noun)
Meaning
Any of a system of modes used in Gregorian chants up until 1600; derived historically from the Greek mode.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The composer carefully selected the ecclesiastical mode to evoke a sense of reverence in the liturgical music.
- The choir's rendition of the ancient hymn was sung in the Phrygian ecclesiastical mode, adding to its haunting beauty.
- In the early Christian church, the use of the ecclesiastical mode was a way to distinguish sacred music from secular music.
- The musicologist spent years studying the evolution of the ecclesiastical mode and its influence on Western classical music.
- The hymn's melody was written in the Mixolydian ecclesiastical mode, which was commonly used in medieval chant.