We pleased to announce that there is a compelling source for understanding the old-style Solesmes approach to rhythm: The Rhythm of Plainsong by Dom Gajard (1943), now available in a free download.
This marvelous book is defense of the Mocquereau approach to the rhythm of Gregorian chant, with Gajard clearly explaining, in non-technical terms, what is historical, what is deduced from musical understanding, and what is pure speculation. He makes a very persuasive case that Gregorian music is true music with a rhythmic structure all its own. One as but to learn the rules and to discover it as a path to making the music sound beautiful and prayerful. This is certainly a must reading for any practitioner of chant.
