According to Lousberg, these quarter tones were used in Gregorian music to emphasize the content of the text: whenever the composer wanted to emphasize something, he used these striking tones. In the West, those quarter tones have been ignored for centuries, so that until now Gregorian choral music has mainly sounded melodic, but without dramatic accents. If it’s up to Lousberg, that’s going to change dramatically.
Utrecht’s oldest music in a new jacket: choir sings ancient piece for Sint Maarten in Domkerk
