A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Participant

by William Smyth Rockstro

PARTICIPANT (from the Lat. participare, to share in). One of the 'Regular Modulations' of the Ecclesiastical Modes. [See Modes, the Ecclesiastical; Modulations, Regular and Conceded.]

The Participant, though less significant, as a distinguishing feature of the Mode, than either the Final, the Dominant, or the Mediant, is of far greater importance than any of the Conceded Modulations. In the Authentic Modes, its normal position lies, either between the Final and the Mediant, or between the Mediant and the Dominant; with the proviso, that, should two notes intervene between the Mediant and Dominant, either of them may be used as the Participant, at will. In the Plagal Modes it is always the lowest note of the Scale, unless that note should be B or F; in which cases, C or G are substituted, in order to avoid the False Relation of Mi contra Fa: it is therefore always coincident, in name, with the Authentic Dominant, though it is not always found in the same Octave. In some cases, however, either Octave may be used indiscriminately as the Plagal Participant; and even the choice of some other note is sometimes accorded.

The following Table exhibits, at one view, the Participants of all the Modes in general use, both Authentic and Plagal.

Mode	I.	G.		Mode	V.	G.		Mode	IX.	D.
"	II.	A2. A3.		"	VI.	C2.		"	X.	E2. E3.
"	III.	A. B.		"	VII.	A.		"	XIII.	D.
"	IV.	C. F.		"	VIII.	D2.		"	XIV.	G2.
2 The lowest note of the Mode. 3 The highest note of the Mode.

In some few of the Authentic Modes, and in all the Plagal forms, the Participant is used as an Absolute Initial; and, by virtue of this privilege, it may be used as the first note of a Plain Chaunt Melody of any kind. In all cases it may begin or end any of the intermediate phrases of a Melody, and may even begin the last; but it can never end the concluding phrase. This rule is not even broken in those Endings of the Gregorian Tones for the Psalms which close upon the Participant—such as the Second Ending of the First Tone: for, in these cases, the real close is found in the Antiphon, which always terminates upon the Final of the Mode.

[ W. S. R. ]