| The latter half of the Middle Ages (circa 1000 CE | | | | into Catholic worship, and vise versa. The sheet |
| to 1500 CE) was a turning point in European | | | | music of the era is often adorned with religious |
| history. Having finally emerged from the Dark | | | | frescos. The monasteries and abbeys of the |
| Ages (circa 500 CE to 1000 CE), European | | | | period created and stored huge quantities of |
| civilization finally began to recover the ground it | | | | sheet music, up to 4000 texts at a time in some |
| had lost when Rome fell. One of the results of | | | | cases. Indeed, it was this mass production of |
| this recovery was the re-emergence of recorded | | | | recorded music that led to the evolution of |
| music, or sheet music in both religious and secular | | | | square notation. The monks needed a universal |
| life. | | | | way to record and recognize the music written |
| During the Middle Ages, Catholicism was the | | | | by their peers in other monasteries; square |
| central power in Europe. It was incorporated into | | | | notation made this possible. |
| every aspect of life and its power stretched to | | | | However, church was not the only place a person |
| every corner of the known world. And one of the | | | | living in the Middle Ages would hear music, not by |
| methods through which the Church asserted its | | | | a long shot. Also common at the time were |
| power was music. Although modern churches | | | | wandering poets, or troubadours, who were the |
| regularly use music as a natural part of worship, | | | | keepers and purveyors of secular music. Some of |
| the pairing of music and Christianity has not | | | | the oldest surviving sheet music was written by |
| always been so straightforward. A thousand | | | | these people, who were encouraged in their work |
| years ago, music was often regarded as sinful. | | | | by patrons such as Eleanor of Aquitaine. The area |
| The problem was, churchgoers tended to enjoy | | | | of Provence, modern day southern France, was |
| it, and the fathers of Catholicism understood that | | | | particularly known for its troubadours, and the |
| it could be used to strengthen people's ties to the | | | | region is said to have been known as The Land |
| Church. | | | | of Song. |
| Accordingly, music was eventually incorporated | | | | |