Mozarabic chant
Liturgical chant of the Christians in medieval Spain, closer to the Gallican than to the Roman rite.
What it means
Mozarabic chant, also called Old Hispanic or Visigothic chant, is the liturgical chant of the Christians of the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages. The Mozarabs were Christians who lived under Muslim rule. Their rite is more closely related to the Gallican rite than to the Roman one, on which Gregorian chant is based.
Musical use
In the late 11th century the Roman rite was introduced in the Christian kingdoms of Spain and displaced the Mozarabic one. The latter survived only in a few parishes and in a chapel in Toledo Cathedral founded by Cardinal Cisneros around 1500. The early manuscripts use neumes that do not indicate exact pitches; many melodies therefore cannot be reconstructed with certainty.
Mozarabic chant should be distinguished from Gregorian chant, which rests on the Roman rite, and from the Ambrosian chant of the Milanese church, which likewise remained independent.
Performance practice
When you listen to or sing Mozarabic chant, pay attention to the rich, often flowing melody and the distinctive forms of the liturgy. Because the transmission is not unambiguous, today's performances are always interpretations and not secure reconstructions.