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VENITE A
LAUDARE
The Italian "lauda"
They called themselves Disciplinati di Gesù
Cristo, Confraternita di Santa Maria delle Laudi or Compagnia
di Sancto Spirito,
they wandered through the streets of Toscany and Umbria
chanting their songs of praise to god, the holy virgin
and all the saints. Saint Francis´ message had
reached the hearts of the mostly simple people and they
started gathering in confraternities, the so called
"laudesi".
Italian melody, deriving
from the tradition of Gregorean chant and folksong approaches
its maximal expression in the lauda. During the Middle
Ages it was common to put religious lyrics into secular
music and viceversa. The church as the client was trying
to spread the religious contents, and the more popular
melodies where used the better the message was passed
on.
A lauda had to arouse the minds of the simple
people immediately. This could only be approached by
using the "greatest actual hits".
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