What are the best practices when it comes to accompanying chant on instruments?
I've seen and heard some fairly hair-raising approaches. It seems the chief dangers are a) forcing chant into an excruciating, plodding meter, b) chaining its modal flexibility to the rack of a major/minor key or insipid harmony, and c) overpowering it with too much volume.
So much is obvious.
If one has to live with accompaniment, and even (dare I say?) embrace it, perhaps the Nova Organi Harmonia represents the best harmonic approach. It also stays very light in terms of texture. I've heard the even simpler approach of simply providing a moving ison, which can be effective for some things, but not all.
Thoughts? It would be good to make this thread a one-stop source for all things "chant accompaniment."
I've seen and heard some fairly hair-raising approaches. It seems the chief dangers are a) forcing chant into an excruciating, plodding meter, b) chaining its modal flexibility to the rack of a major/minor key or insipid harmony, and c) overpowering it with too much volume.
So much is obvious.
If one has to live with accompaniment, and even (dare I say?) embrace it, perhaps the Nova Organi Harmonia represents the best harmonic approach. It also stays very light in terms of texture. I've heard the even simpler approach of simply providing a moving ison, which can be effective for some things, but not all.
Thoughts? It would be good to make this thread a one-stop source for all things "chant accompaniment."