THE MIDDLE AGES
THE LIFE OF A LORD
MEDIEVAL LEISURE ACTIVITIES
MUSIC
Music was a very big aspect of the Middle Ages, especially in the dimensions of religion. Singing without any instrumental accompaniment was an essential part of the church.
Some churches had instruments such as the organ and teh bells. The symphony was also commonly found in churches.
In Cathedrals, people often listened to plainsongs. Plainsongs were songs that had a single melody that choirs of men and boys sang using the same key and rhythm throughout with no instrumental accompaniment.
Composers followed this style of music for most of the music they wrote. One of the most famous plainsong was the Gregorian Chant. This song was written and named in honour of Pope Gregory I. The Gregorian Chant was extremely popular. Several choirs sang the chant during church services and monks often sang the Gregorian Chant as part of their daily prayer sessions.
THEATER AND PLAYS
Most of the plays performed during the Middle Ages were based off the stories from the Old Testaments of the Bible, such as Noah's Ark, Jonah and the Whale, Daniel in the Lion's Den and several other stories about the birth and death of Jesus Christ.
These plays were often performed with costumes and musical instruments. At first they took place outside the churches, but later were staged in the busy marketplaces.
ART
Paintings, stained glass, stone sculptures and illuminated manuscrispts were all made to honour God. Practically all artworks made during the Middle Ages were made to educate people in Christianity and to remind them of the Bible stories.
In most paintings, the background was of a Cathedral. Artists of the Medieval times painted with extremely bright colours. Their main goals were to tell religious stories in a way that conveyed a believable message to the viewer.
