There are many similarities and many differences between the musical masses of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Some of the comparisons may include: structure, rhythm, melody, and harmony. Today I will compare the masses between these time periods. A mass is a liturgy of the Eucharist, the principal service of the Roman Catholic Church. This means that the mass is a rite performed during the Christian ceremony commemorating the Last Supper. Western European music during the Middle Ages can be traced back to the religious developments that occurred in Europe between 500 and 1400 AD Masses began in the Middle Ages starting from 500 to 1400 AD During this period sacred music, also known as liturgy , was the most widespread. There are two types of masses, each with subunits. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The names of the two masses are Ordinary Typical Masses and Proper Typical Masses. There are seven parts in typical ordinary masses, and their names are: Kyrie eleison, Gloria in excelsis, credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei, and Ite missa est. Then, there are twelve parts in the typical masses, seven of the parts are the same as in the ordinary mass, and there are four more parts which are introit, gradual, hallelujah sequence, offertory and communion. During the Middle Ages, musical structure such as Gregorian chant was monophonic, meaning it had a single melodic line. Sacred vocal music, such as Gregorian chants, was set to Latin text and sung without accompaniment. While during the Renaissance church choirs added one or more melodic lines to Gregorian chants. This created a polyphonic structure, meaning it had two or more melodic lines. During the Middle Ages there was no clear sense of meter or rhythm in Gregorian chant because precise time values ​​were not notated. While in the Renaissance, the Gutenberg press was invented, which notated music and allowed music theory to advance. Music in the Middle Ages was based on the human voice and voice, while the Renaissance supported instruments and vocal music. There are also many similarities between the music of these eras, such as the fact that Gregorian chant is still a sacred liturgy venerated in Roman Catholic churches..