Overview of Sacred and Secular Music Genres

Sacred Genres

no percussion

Secular Genres

percussion allowed

Paraphrase Mass

sacred - religious music, upgraded. taking a sacred piece and adding (more melodic lines) to it.

Pavane

secular - duple meter (2/4 time or 4/4 time), slow, gliding dance music

Parody Mass

sacred - 'sacredized' secular music. taking a popular melody and adding religious text.

Gaillard

secular - triple meter (3/4 time), fast, leaping dance music

Motet

sacred - polyphonic, religious music.

Madrigal

secular - polyphonic, several solo voices, uses word painting/madrigalisms, sets text from a poem in vernacular language to music, through-composed, popular, fun to sing, comfortable range, triadic melody (1, 3, 5 - ex: C, E, G), catchy rhythms, punny music

Chorale

sacred - german hymn from the lutheran church, 'simple, elegant, religious music', sung by the entire congregation, monophonic or polyphonic, sometimes call and response to encourage participation in church.

Lute Song (Extension of Madrigal)

secular - homophonic, with a solo voice and a lute accompanying

Calvinist Music

sacred - english religious songs with no polyphony, simple harmonies and rhythms, sung by women and men, all preexisting psalms (no original compositions)

Anglican Anthem

sacred - king henry led the church which these pieces were part of - english polyphonic compositions that borrowed melodies from popular songs.

Cyclic Mass

sacred - took the ordinary of the mass and composed them (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei) with a shared common theme, uniform (voices with equal melodic importance), clear words, steady amplitude, no strong beats, no catchy rhythms, simple polyphony, consonant. Follows the recommendations of the Council of Trent on music very closely.