History and Background of Gregorian Chant

 A thousand years before the birth of Jesus, a practice known as cantillation, a tradition of chanting scripture became a central function of temple worship. A predecessor of the Gregorian chant, which can be traced back to the third century. Gregorian chant developed in the first Christian millennium and quickly spread through the East and West. But it wasn't coined this phrase until after the death of Pope St. Gregory the Great who reigned from 590-604. Pope Gregory I is known for carefully organizing and codifying these chants, often depicted with a dove whispering in his ear signifying the presence of the holy spirit as inspiration. 

The Council of Trent (1545-1563) marked the time when protestants were addressing doctrinal issues within the Church and the council aimed to clarify Catholic doctrine and reform church practices. One of which was the Gregorian Chant. The practice of Gregorian Chant unpopularized around this time.

King Charlemagne is another significant figure in the formation and spread of Gregorian Chant by adopting Roman chants in his court. During the 8th century, the Carolingians controlled much of Europe and had influence over the popes. The Carolinians were in favor of the Gregorian chant and under the rule of Charlemagne, the Gregorian chant was spread across his empire to unite all his churches. By the 9th century, the Gregorian chant had spread so far east as to Poland and Slovakia where they adopted it and the Gallican rite had vanished. By the 12th and 13th centuries, the Gregorian chant was considered the "authentic" chant of Rome and the local chant of Rome before that was now known as the Old Roman chant. 

The Origins of Gregorian Chant on YouTube