CLEP Humanities : Answering Other Questions About Medieval Music
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Music
Gregorian chant was most utilized in what venue during the Middle Ages?
Courtly settings
Funerals
Liturgy
Weddings
Governmental functions
Liturgy
Gregorian chant is the style of music that developed throughout the Middle Ages, having various sources and styles. It was an ecclesiastical form of music, meaning that it was a "church" music. In particular, it was a kind of liturgical music, used in the various forms of public worship undertaken by the Latin Roman Catholic Church. Its melodies were based on the texts of the Mass, the Divine Office, and other liturgical ceremonies. Many of these texts were biblical, though adaptations from other sources are also found in many hymns and antiphons throughout the Middle Ages.
Example Question #1 : Medieval Music (476 1400)
Which of the following was the primary language of Gregorian Chant in the Middle Ages?
Aramaic
Latin
Arabic
Greek
Hebrew
Latin
Strictly speaking, Gregorian Chant is a phenomenon of the Christian West. It was the liturgical music of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, which dominated much (though not all) of Western Europe throughout the Middle Ages. While there were other forms of liturgical worship throughout this period, the Latin Rite was the "location" for the development of the Gregorian Chant repertoire. Its texts were taken from various parts of the liturgy, drawing on biblical sources as well as more original compositions by hymn and antiphon writers.
Example Question #2 : Music
Which musical instrument was common in Medieval music and was associated with the god Apollo in Ancient Greece?
Lute
Trumpet
Lyre
Pipes
Harpsichord
Lyre
The pipes, trumpet, and harpsichord are not common Medieval instruments. Though is was an ancient stringed instrument also common in Medieval times, the lute was not associated with Apollo.
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