I would like to clarify this statement. Solesmes did not invent the neumes. This is a common misunderstanding of what Solesmes did. As the article from Wikipedia below indicates, the square note system was in use by the 13th century.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neume
In the early 11th century, Beneventan neumes (from the churches of Benevento in southern Italy) were written at varying distances from the text to indicate the overall shape of the melody; such neumes are called heightened or diastematic neumes, which showed the relative pitches between neumes. Shortly after this, one to four staff lines clarified the exact relationship between pitches, an innovation traditionally ascribed to Guido d'Arezzo. One line was marked as representing a particular pitch, usually C or F. These neumes resembled the same thin, scripty style of the chironomic notation. In 13th-century England, Sarum chant was notated using square noteheads, a practice which subsequently spread throughout Europe; in Germany, a variant called Gothic neumes continued to be used until the 16th century.
By the 13th century, the neumes of Gregorian chant were usually written in square notation on a staff with four lines and three spaces and a clef marker
It should be noted that our present form of modern musical notation developed from the square note notation and the 4 line staff.
What Solesmes did was to indicate the accent and rhythm of the music, that had not been done before. This is known as the Solesmes Method.
Using In Paradisum, in post 7, we can see the accent and rhythmic markings added by Solesmes. Notice the little tic marks under the notes that are over the syllables “pa” and “di” of paradisum. These are each called an ictus. This indicates that these notes receive the accent. In modern measured music, this would be the equivalent of the first note of each measure.
Notice too, the syllables “di” and “sum”. These have a line above the notes. This line, the episema, indicates that the note is lengthened, altering the otherwise monotonous rhythm of continuous eighth notes.
So, Solesmes gave us a method for interpreting chant that aids the singer(s) in singing with rhythm and vitality. Without these markings, it is anyone’s guess as to the interpretation, and often times leads to uninspired droning.
A quick example is the Easter hymn, O Filii et Filiae. Though it is pseudo-chant, it is found in square notation. When sung indifferently, it becomes a funeral dirge. But when the rythmic markings are followed, it becomes a jig, a dance for the soul.
Very interesting. Thanks!
The Solesmes method started with the ancient neume system but modified/improved it to make it readable and consistent. They also revived it (hardly anybody had used it for years).
The small college attached to our church (it's an off-campus program of Spring Hill College) had a course last year in the History of Western Church Music. Taught by our music director, who has forgotten more about music than I will ever know. We spent a week on the development of the neumes . . . . Final Exam was held at the Crown and Anchor Pub . . . .
I will say that the alternate Anglican method for singing chant (with the tones only indicated without the accent and stress marks) works pretty well (if you have a decent choirmaster) -- "sing as you speak", stressing the words as though you were speaking (or declaiming) them.