A fragment of the original chant that was included in the early settings of the Catholic mass became the cantus firmus, as further explained below.
The cantus firmus, in music, is a fragment of a preexisting melody that is used to compose a new musical piece. The cantus firmus originated centuries ago, most likely somewhere around the 13 century. As we can see in its definition, it was part of the Catholic mass, where Gregorian chants were common.
The term itself means fixed melody, which is quite an accurate name, since the fragment would not be changed, but a new melody would be developed from it. The plural form of cantus firmus is cantus firmi. The term is also used in contexts other than music, usually in a metaphorical manner.
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