SING WE AND CHANT IT STARTER ACTIVITY LISTENING TO A MADRIGAL Listen to a Madrigal Sing We and Chant It by the early English composer Thomas Morley (c.1557-1602) (pictured below) and answer the following questions. A copy of the lyrics has been given for you to follow. 1. How many voice parts do you think are singing this song? 2. What do you notice about the accompaniment to this song? 3. What do you notice about the repetition of the lyrics? 4. What is the difference in TEXTURE between the sections of this song with words and the fa la la sections? 5. Is this song religious (SACRED) or non-religious (SECULAR)? Sing we and chant it while love doth grant it, Not long youth lasteth, and old age hasteth; now is best leisure to take our pleasure, All things invite us now to delight us, Hence, care, be packing! no mirth be lacking! Let spare no treasure to live in pleasure, Learning Objectives Learn about the different types of textures used in vocal music, including when voices are singing together (AoS 3) Learn about the Madrigal as a type of song with its characteristic features including textures, structure, word painting and imitation (AoS 3, 4 & 5) LEARNING ABOUT VOCAL TEXTURES IDEAS BOX TEXTURE Page 1 of 7
MONOPHONIC TEXTURE HOMOPHONIC TEXTURE POLYPHONIC TEXTURE LISTENING TO VOCAL TEXTURES Listen carefully to the following extracts of vocal music and decide whether you think the texture is monophonic, homophonic or polyphonic AND whether the music is ACCOMPANIED or A CAPPELLA. Put a tick in the correct columns to indicate your choice. Extract 1 2 3 4 5 6 Monophonic Texture Homophonic Texture Polyphonic Texture Accompanied A Capella Page 2 of 7
LEARNING ABOUT MADRIGALS In 1588, a collection of Italian Madrigals with English words was published in England. This sparked off great enthusiasm, and soon, English composers were writing their own Madrigals which were performed, usually with ONE SINGER PER PART, in the homes of keen music-lovers everywhere. The Madrigal was popular during the Renaissance period and was usually for FOUR TO SIX UNACCOMPANIED VOICES, short and secular in nature and making much use of IMITATION and WORD PAINTING, often using MELISMAS where several notes are sung to the same syllable. Listen to the Madrigal, Fair Phyllis, written by the English church musician and composer John Farmer (pictured below) (c.1591-1601) for four voices following the text below as you listen and see if you can decide whether this Madrigal is STROPHIC or THROUGH-COMPOSED? 1. Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all alone, 2. Feeding her flock near to the mountain side. 3. The shepherds knew not, they knew not whither she was gone, 4. But after her lover Amyntas hied. 5. Up and down he wandered, 6. Whilst she was missing; 7. When he found her, 8. O, then they fell-a-kissing. Now listen to some individual lines from this Madrigal and see if you can identify the different vocal textures that John Farmer uses. You ll hear each individual line twice. Monophonic Texture Homophonic Texture Polyphonic Texture 1. Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all alone 2. Feeding her flock near to the mountain side. 5. Up and down he wandered, 8. O, then they fell-akissing. Another feature of a Madrigal is an often used Fa la la REFRAIN which is heard at section endings (such as in Sing We and Chant It in the starter activity). Listen to Now is the month of maying, another Madrigal by Thomas Morley, for this Fa la la refrain and also for the texture and structure. 1. What VOCAL TEXTURE is used in Now is the month of maying 2. Is this Madrigal STROPHIC or THROUGH-COMPOSED? Page 3 of 7
LEARNING ABOUT IMITATION Look at the score of Thomas Tallis s ANTHEM If Ye Love Me on the next pages, set for four voices Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass (SATB) and answer the following questions as you listen. 1. What VOCAL TEXTURE does Tallis use in the first four bars? 2. What VOCAL TEXTURE does Tallis use from bar 5 (letter B) onwards? 3. From bar 5, the four voices enter in IMITATION (the repetition of a phrase or melody one voice enterting after another, often in different keys or at different pitches) with the words and I will pray. In what order do the voices enter in bars 5-7 with these words in IMITATION? 4. Bars 9-10 also feature IMITATION on the words and he shall give. In what order do the voice parts enter here? 5. There s more IMITATION in bars 13-16 on the words that He. In what order do the voice parts enter here? 6. See if you can identify the final example of IMITATION naming the bars, words and in what order the voice parts enter? Page 4 of 7
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GCSE-STYLE LISTENING QUESTION Areas of Study: Texture & Melody/Timbre & Dynamics/Structure & Form Total for this question: 11 marks 1 You will hear the following piece of music played three times. The words are given below. You may find it helpful to tick a box each time you hear the excerpt. 1a 1b All creatures now are merry-minded. The shepherd s daughters playing, The nymphs are fa-la-la-ing, Yond bugle was well winded. At Oriana s presence each thing smileth. The flowers themselves discover; Birds over her do hover; Music the time beguileth. See where she comes with flowery garlands crownèd. Queen of all queen renownèd. Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana: Love live fair Oriana. Is this an example of a sacred or secular song? Are the following lines set in a homophonic or polyphonic texture? (i) The nymphs are fa-la-la-ing, (ii) See where she comes with flowery garlands crownèd.. (iii) Love live fair Oriana (1 mark) (3 marks) 1c Identify a particular line or lyric in this song which shows the composer s use of word painting. How does the composer paint or express, the idea in their music? (2 mark) 1b In line 2 of the song, the voices enter one after each other with similar musical idea. What is the musical name for this? (1 mark) 1e How would you describe the structure of this song and why? (2 marks) 1f What word best describes this song? (circle your answer) LIED MADRIGAL ARIA MASS (1 mark) 1g In which musical period do you think this song was written? (circle your answer) RENAISSANCE BAROQUE CLASSICAL ROMANTIC (1 mark) Page 6 of 7
PLENARY KEY WORDS REVISION Match the key words on the left hand side with their correct definition from the right hand side. Madrigal Monophonic A Cappella Refrain Homophonic (Block Chordal) Sacred SATB Homophonic (Melody & Accompaniment) Secular Polyphonic Unison Imitation The opposite of sacred, meaning nonreligious, where the words of the song are often about nature or non-religious events. A type of musical texture which features a single melodic line (may be sung by one or more singers) A word meaning religious where the words of the song are taken from the bible or have a religious meaning A type of musical texture which features a melody (performed by voices) and accompaniment (other voices or instruments) A repeated part of a song, like a chorus, which often comes at the end of different verses or sections. The musical name given to all voices singing the same pitches at the same time (the opposite of harmony when they sing different notes) A type of secular song, popular in the Renaissance period, often for 4-6 unaccompanied voices and featuring word painting and imitation. A musical device where voice parts enter one after the other, with the same musical phrase or melody, often at different pitches A type of musical texture where all voice parts sing the words together, but using different notes, creating harmony. A type of complex musical texture where the different voice parts weave in and out of each other creating a dense sound e.g. imitation Another word meaning unaccompanied A musical abbreviation for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass the most popular arrangement of voices for choral vocal music SELF ASSESSMENT KEY WORDS A Cappella, Anthem, Block Chordal, Homophonic, Imitation, Madrigal, Melody and Accompaniment, Monophonic, Polyphonic, Refrain, Sacred, SATB, Secular, Strophic, Texture, Through-Composed, Unison, Voice Part, Word Painting I know that a Madrigal is a type of early song for a group of singers, identifying some basic musical features such as accompanied or a cappella I know that a Madrigal is a type of secular song, popular in the Renaissance period, identifying some different vocal textures, examples of word painting, structures and imitation when listening. I can correctly identify different vocal textures and song structures when listening to a range of vocal music, including Madrigals. I know that imitation is the entering of voice parts, one after another with similar musical phrases/melodies, often in different keys/pitches and identify this when listening. Page 7 of 7