Sacred Vocal Music

• The Mass was an important form of Renaissance music. The Latin text came from the Ordinary Mass and followed sections including Kyrie (God), Gloria (glory), Credo (creed or belief), Sanctus (holy), Benedictus (blessed) and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). Often a plainsong or chant popular in early periods introduced a section. Motets were shorter-form texts taken from other religious sources than the Mass, often the Bible. Motets consisted of four to five voices with emphasis on the highest voice. It was one continuous piece instead of divided into sections and sung a cappella or with instruments. Boys or countertenors sang the high parts in both the Mass and motets because it was not proper for women to perform in church.
  
  Other sacred vocal music consisted of hymns or chorals. The Reformation occurred during the Renaissance and congregations broke from the church creating Protestantism where the Mass was not celebrated. Instead, hymns were created consisting of two to five parts and sung by the choir or congregation with instruments or ac cappella. German Lutherans were some of the first to write these hymns or chorals. (ref 1) Carols were similar to hymns in England and consisted of many stanzas with a refrain. (ref 6) The melodies were often taken from old dances and text from religious poems. (ref 5)
  
  

Sacred Instrumental Music

• Instruments including the lute, organ and harpsichord were played with voices and alone. Musical groups played consort music in churches and consisted of lutes, harps, bowed strings, recorders (wooden flute-like instruments), shawms with double reeds and horns. This music often mimicked vocal songs and motets.
  
  

Secular Vocal Music

• Consorts or groups of musicians traveled about between communities and were the major form of communication, bringing news sometimes within their musical ballads. A cappella four- to six-part madrigals regaled the listener with tales of love. Each line had equal importance, and there was echoing and imitation in the music with melody lines shared among all parts. Women were allowed to perform secular music. Descriptive texts were given more meaning by text painting. A sad song might have falling notes and dissonant harmonies with a plodding rhythm while a joyous song would rise in pitch and have catchy rhythms. English madrigals were light and humorous while the Italian variety were more serious.
  
  The English song, French chanson, German leid and Italian canzona (ref 3) were all the same and for one to five voices. They were accompanied most often by the lute and were very rhythmic. (ref 6)
  
  

Secular Instrumental Music

• Dances were a form of music that allowed observers to participate by dancing in chains or circles. A few dance movement examples are the French Branle where dancers swing side to side, the slow walking- Pavane, and the lively and complicated Galiard.