Complete Middle Ages and Renaissance Music Study Guide This version combines your written notes with the clues from your crossword worksheet. I’ve organized the material by topic and included a crossword answer key so you can study both the concepts and the vocabulary. Part 1: Historical periods Period Dates Main ideas Middle Ages 450–1450 Church influence, Gregorian chant, monasteries, feudalism Ars Nova Around 1300s New musical notation and rhythmic developments Renaissance 1450–1600 Rebirth of ancient ideas, humanism, polyphony, instrumental music Middle Ages society Feudalism: Land exchanged for service. Nobility: Wealthy, powerful social class; nobles often lived in castles. Peasantry: The largest and generally lowest social class. Clergy: Religious leaders, including priests and monks. Monasteries: Places where monks lived, studied, copied books, and preserved writings. Liturgy: The official rituals and services used in religious worship. Rote: Learning by repetition or copying. Part 2: Medieval music Gregorian chant Religious singing in Latin. Traditionally associated with Pope Gregory I. Monophonic: One melodic line. A cappella: Without instrumental accompaniment. Non-metrical rhythm: No regular beat; the rhythm flows freely. Usually has a narrow pitch range and moves mainly by steps. Creates a calm, reverent, otherworldly atmosphere. Used in church worship. The Catholic Mass The Mass has two main sections: Proper: Changes with the church calendar. Ordinary: Stays the same throughout the church year. Prayer Meaning Kyrie Lord, have mercy Gloria Glory to God on high Credo We believe in one God Sanctus Holy, holy, holy Agnus Dei Lamb of God Requiem Mass: A funeral Mass. Dies irae: A text about the Day of Wrath; associated with judgment and death. The traditional Requiem omits the Gloria and Credo. Other medieval music terms Secular music: Nonreligious music. Organum: Medieval music that adds another melodic line to chant. Polyphony: Two or more independent melodic lines. Drone: A long, sustained note beneath a melody. Church modes: Scales used in medieval sacred music, such as Dorian. Dissonance: Sounds that create tension or instability. Cantus firmus: A pre-existing melody used as the basis for a composition. Motet: A polyphonic vocal work, often with a sacred text. Purest voice: A treble voice before puberty. Part 3: Important composers and musicians Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179): German mystic, healer, poet, and female composer. Wrote Ordo Virtutum, an early morality play. Léonin and Pérotin: Composers associated with the Notre Dame School; helped develop organum and rhythmic notation. Guillaume IX: Early troubadour from southern France. Beatriz de Dia: Female troubadour who wrote songs addressing men. Guillaume de Machaut: Medieval French poet and composer; wrote the Messe de Nostre Dame. Francesco Landini: Blind Italian medieval composer. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Renaissance composer whose sacred music became an important model of Catholic church music. Thomas Weelkes: English Renaissance composer who wrote As Vesta Was from Latmos Hill Descending. John Dowland: English Renaissance composer known for lute songs, including Flow My Tears. Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance artist and example of a Renaissance man. Part 4: Secular music and medieval composers Term Definition Chanson French song, often about courtly love Troubadour Poet-musician from southern France Trouvère Poet-musician from northern France Minnesinger German courtly love poet-musician Jongleur Traveling entertainer who could sing, juggle, and perform Estampie Medieval dance Courtly love Idealized romantic love expressed in songs and poetry Notre Dame School Center of early polyphonic music in Paris Ars Nova “New art”; musical developments around the 1300s Part 5: Renaissance music Renaissance: Means “rebirth,” with renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. Humanism: Focus on human potential, learning, and achievement. Gutenberg's movable type: Helped books and knowledge spread. Renaissance man: Someone skilled in many areas, such as Leonardo da Vinci. Polyphonic texture: Multiple independent melodic lines. Word painting / text painting: Music illustrates the meaning of the words being sung. Vernacular: The everyday or native language of a region. Palestrina: Famous for Renaissance sacred music. Renaissance Mass: Often set the Ordinary to music and used multiple vocal parts. Renaissance dances Pavane: A solemn dance in duple meter, or groups of two beats. Galliard: A lively dance in triple meter, or groups of three beats. Instruments to recognize Instrument Key fact Recorder Woodwind instrument Bladder pipe Wind instrument similar to a bagpipe Sackbut Early trombone Serpent Low-pitched wind instrument Lute Plucked string instrument; early guitar-like instrument Viola da gamba Bowed string instrument similar in role to a cello Organetto Small portable organ Organ Keyboard instrument using pipes Harpsichord Keyboard instrument that plucks strings Dulcimer String instrument played by striking its strings Crumhorn Curved wind instrument with a buzzing tone Hurdy-gurdy String instrument played with a hand-cranked wheel Lyre Ancient string instrument Cornett Historical wind instrument Fiddle Bowed string instrument Part 6: Ancient Greek and Roman music Greeks: Used music in dramas and cultural events. Romans: Used music in the military and public events. Lyre: Ancient string instrument dating back thousands of years. Animal gut: Historically used to make some instrument strings. Part 7: Crossword answer key These answers follow the Across and Down clues visible in your worksheet. A few answers depend on how the clue is worded, so I’ve included the most likely answer. Across No. Answer What to remember 2 Recorder Common Renaissance instrument 6 Bladder pipe Similar to a bagpipe 10 Polyphony Texture of organum 12 Credo “We believe in one God” 13 Léonin Notre Dame composer 15 Jongleur Traveling entertainer 16 Palestrina Renaissance sacred composer 17 Motet Polyphonic sacred choral work 19 Sackbut Early trombone 22 Estampie Medieval dance 23 English Language of Weelkes's music 29 Polyphonic Multiple vocal lines 32 Virtutum Ordo Virtutum 33 Vernacular Native language 34 Serpent Bass wind instrument 39 Liturgy Prescribed worship rites 41 Rhythmic notation Represents musical rhythms 43 Drone Steady, sustained sound 44 Vernacular Native language 45 Monophonic One melodic line 46 Viola da gamba Bowed string instrument 48 Organum Chant with an added melody 50 Thomas Weelkes Composed As Vesta Was Descending 52 Francesco Landini Blind Italian medieval composer 58 Leonardo da Vinci Painted the Mona Lisa 59 Chant Melody used as a cantus firmus 62 Proper Mass section that changes 63 Renaissance Means “rebirth” 65 Peasantry Lowest major social class 66 Modes Scales used in chants 67 John Dowland Composer of Flow My Tears 69 Text painting Music depicts the words 70 Review the crossing letters The clue is unclear in the photo 72 Treble voice Voice before puberty 73 Recorder Early reed/woodwind instrument 74 Geometry Study of shapes and measurements 75 Humanism Focus on human life and achievement Down No. Answer What to remember 1 Music Essential part of education 3 Lyre Common ancient instrument 4 Mona Lisa Famous Renaissance painting 5 Military How Romans used music 7 Sistine Michelangelo's chapel 8 Gregory I Associated with Gregorian chant 9 Jousting Armed competition in the Renaissance 11 Ordinary Mass section that stays the same 14 Mass Reenactment of the Last Supper 18 Galliard Renaissance dance in triple meter 20 A cappella Without accompaniment 21 Courtly love Idealized love and manners 24 Harpsichord Renaissance keyboard instrument 25 Lute Early guitar-like instrument 26 Ars “New art” in Ars Nova 27 Pavane Solemn dance in duple meter 28 Gurdy Hurdy-gurdy 30 Cathedral Major church building 31 Sanctus “Holy, Holy, Holy” Part 8: What to memorize first If you have limited study time, focus on these: Dates: Middle Ages 450–1450; Renaissance 1450–1600; Ars Nova around the 1300s. Textures: Monophonic = one melody; polyphonic = multiple independent melodies. Gregorian chant: Latin, religious, monophonic, a cappella, free rhythm. Mass prayers: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei. Mass sections: Proper changes; Ordinary stays the same. People: Hildegard, Léonin, Pérotin, Machaut, Landini, Palestrina, Weelkes, Dowland, Leonardo da Vinci. Music terms: Organum, motet, drone, cantus firmus, word painting, vernacular. Dances: Pavane = duple; galliard = triple. Instruments: Recorder, sackbut, serpent, lute, viola da gamba, harpsichord, crumhorn, hurdy-gurdy. History: Feudalism, monasteries, humanism, Gutenberg, and the Renaissance

What is the significance of Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?

It ruled that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.

What did the 1954 ruling of Brown v. Board of Education lead to in the United States?

It helped to dismantle racial segregation in schools.

In what year was Brown v. Board of Education decided?

1954