plainchant

American  

[pleyn-chant, -chahnt] / ˈpleɪnˌtʃænt, -ˌtʃɑnt /

noun

1. plainsong.

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plainchant British  

/ ˈpleɪnˌtʃɑːnt /

noun

1. another name for plainsong

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Etymology

Origin of plainchant

1720–30; plain ¹ + chant, modeled on French plain-chant

Example Sentences

Each section—crucifixion, burial and resurrection—began with plainchant and continued with more elaborate settings of those and other sacred texts on the subjects.

From The Wall Street Journal

At the gates of hell, the stones instruct Orpheus not to sing there “unless you sing in a dead language” — so Hopkins and Orlinski duly start intoning Latin, in a parody of medieval plainchant.

From New York Times

The vocal settings are plain as well, with qualities again of Glass and Satie, along with hints of Robert Ashley, Broadway, elemental pop song and plainchant.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s been a plainchant from women for the last 30 years that our roles are tedious to play.

From The Guardian

“Partita for 8 Voices” is a pattern book of vocal styles: its movements are stitched together from plainchant, percussive breathing, Early American hymnody, and half a dozen other techniques.

From The New Yorker