1. Knox Academy Music Department

2. Renaissance Music was not only found in the church. It was used as a form of entertainment in peoples’ homes, usually richer people. A common type of vocal music at this time was the madrigal. These were composed all across Western Europe, but it is the English madrigals that you need to know about. VOCAL MUSIC Madrigals were the Renaissance equivalent of pop songs

3. The ballett is probably the easiest type of madrigal to identify. The main features are: A cappella (unaccompanied) Strophic A distinctive refrain or chorus using the words ‘fa la la’. They are often lighthearted and merry, eg Now is the month of maying by Thomas Morley BALLETT

4. The ayre is very different in style to the ballett. It also has some distinctive features: Usually for a solo voice Usually features an instrumental accompaniment on lute Often sad and melancholy Eg Now, O now, I needs must part by John Dowland Sting recently released an album of ayres and lute songs! AYRE

5. The madrigal proper can be more difficult to identify. However, it’s main features are that it is: Through-composed (new music to each line of text) Very contrapuntal (polyphonic). The voices are all of equal importance. Very imitative A madrigal proper will usually contain word-painting. Eg Fair Phyllis I saw by John Farmer. What examples of word-painting can you hear? MADRIGAL PROPER

6. Refer to page 22 in the ‘History of Music’ books to see a range of Renaissance instruments. Take particular note of the viol and also the recorder (not shown) as these are most likely to come up in a Listening paper. As mentioned, lutes and viols were sometimes used to accompany vocal music. However, there are some types of instrumental music that you also need to know… CONSORT – a group of instruments from the same family playing together eg a viol consort or a recorder consort are the most likely to crop up. Listen to In Nomine 2 by William Byrd to hear a viol consort. INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

7. In many Renaissance households there would be a keyboard instrument such as the clavichord or virginal (like a simple harpsichord) KEYBOARD MUSIC You need to be able to identify 2 types of instrumental music: PAVAN – a slow, stately dance with 2 beats in a bar. GALLIARD – a fast, sprightly dance with 3 beats in a bar. Listen to John Langton’s Pavan and The Earle of Essex Galliard to hear this contrast.