Music Society

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Until the 11th century, music and singing were primarily liturgical, though also associated with everyday activities. In the ecclesiastical world, there were Gregorian chants (taking their name from Pope Gregory the Great), which were musical forms for Latin singing unaccompanied by instruments, used in Roman Catholic ceremonies.
The Middle Ages were not averse to singing, but it was a difficult time for musical instruments, since the Church frowned upon any kind of music other than vocal. For centuries, therefore, only ancient instruments were used without any new innovations. Instrumental music in its own right gained prominence only in the 14th century, in the ‘ars nova’ or New Art period.

The concept of an original musical work or composition was as yet unknown; music arose mostly from improvisation and musical works were learned by heart and spread by oral transmission.

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