Considerations on the Necessity of Restoring the Chant of the Church of Rome in All Churches of the Empire

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which we have just spoken, this deterioration had made such progress that this great Prince decided to make a total reform of the French Chant, as can be seen by the following account, extracted from the Annales des Francs Annals of the Franks, and which I transcribe here by reason of how appropriate it is and the interest it presents.

And the most pious King Charles returned, and celebrated Easter at Rome with the Apostolic Lord. Behold, a contention arose during the feast days of Easter between the Cantors of the Romans and the Gauls. The Gauls said they sang better and more beautifully than the Romans. The Romans said they uttered the ecclesiastical chants most learnedly, just as they had been taught by Pope Saint Gregory, and that the Gauls sang corruptly, and by destroying the sound chant, tore it asunder. Which contention came before the Lord King Charles. The Gauls indeed, because of the security of the Lord King Charles, greatly reproached the Roman Cantors; the Romans indeed, because of the authority of great doctrine, affirmed them to be foolish, rustic, and unlearned like brute animals.

The very pious King Charles having returned to celebrate Easter at Rome with the Apostolic Lord, a quarrel arose during the feast days between the Roman Cantors and the French Cantors. The French claimed to sing better and more pleasantly than the Romans. The Romans, calling themselves more learned in the ecclesiastical Chant which they had learned from Pope Saint Gregory, accused the French of corrupting, flaying, and disfiguring the true Chant. The dispute having been brought before the Lord King, the French, who held themselves strong in his protection, insulted the Roman Cantors. The Romans, proud of their great knowledge, and comparing the doctrine of St. Gregory to the rusticity of the others, treated them as ignorant, foolish, and boorish,