Roughly two years ago, in preparation for creating these “Music History Monday” posts, I spent several days putting together a calendar of musical events from which I could draw my topics. The internet made this job a gazillion times easier than it would have otherwise been; instead of spending untold hours in a music library or with my head in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, transcribing dates one at a time, the internet offered a ready supply of lists. However – as is usually true when dealing with info gleaned from the web – one must carefully verify that info. (I’m glad I did. I have seen many an incorrect date. For example, on one site, all the dates given for Russian musical events were based on the Julian, rather than the Gregorian calendar.) On occasion I will find entries that are not just wrong but wrong-wrong. For example, the following entry for March 12 can be found on a site called ClassicalAlmanac.com: “604: Birth of Pope Gregory, developed the Gregorian chant.” Sweet Pater in caelis, talk about wrong-wrong! In fact, Pope Gregory I died on this day 1414 years ago. As for the second phrase, “developed […]