Thetract (Latin:tractus) is part of theproper of theChristianliturgical celebration of theEucharist, used instead of theAlleluia inLent orSeptuagesima, in aRequiem Mass, and other penitential occasions, when the joyousness of an Alleluia is deemed inappropriate. Tracts are not, however, necessarily sorrowful.
The name apparently derives from either the drawn-out style of singing or the continuous structure without arefrain. There is evidence, however, that the earliest performances were sung responsorially, and it is probable that these were dropped at an early stage.
In their final form, tracts are a series ofpsalm verses; rarely a complete psalm, but all the verses are from the same psalm. They are restricted to only twomodes, the second and the eighth. The melodies followcentonization patterns more strongly than anywhere else in the repertoire; a typical tract is almost exclusively a succession of such formulas. Thecadences are nearly always elaboratemelismas. Tracts with multiple verses are some of the longest chants in theLiber Usualis.
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