Music: The Change from Spiritual to Secular

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The time between 1485 and 1660 marked a period of new beginnings for the people living in England; this time is known as the Renaissance. In England, the people were challenging their past beliefs; where before the Renaissance, England thrived basing their lives, government, and music off of God and his principles alone. During these one-hundred and seventy-five years, the English people started questioning their original principles about religion and established a yearning for information and proof based off of science instead of God. This desire caused many changes to form in England. The Renaissance period quickly became known as the rebirth of knowledge named by the change from God’s knowledge to the knowledge of man. The Renaissance brought on many changes to English culture especially in their music. There was a rise in secular, or non-religious music, instrumental music, and dance music. Although the English Renaissance occurred many centuries ago, the major changes in musical styles are evident in both spiritual and secular music.

Before the rebirth of knowledge, the only music in England was spiritual music. Since this time period was known as the Golden Age of the A Cappella Music Style, majority of the spiritual songs were sung in the a cappella music style. A cappella is when the choir sings without an instrumental accompaniment. There were two main styles other than a cappella, motets and masses. Motets and masses are quite similar, having only a few differences. A motet is a polyphonic piece of music having four to six voices all singing one religious text (Bower). Masses happen to be longer than a motet and were very important in the services in the Catholic Church. The Catholic masses had a very specific order ...

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...on music that have continued to thrive in American music. The English Renaissance had made a drastic effect on modern day spiritual, secular, and instrumental music.

Works Cited

Arkenberg, Rebecca. “Music in the Renaissance.” October 2002. Heibrunn Timeline of Art

History. 20 April 2011< http://www.metmuseumorg/toah/hd/renm/hd_renm.htm>.

Augusta County Public Schools. Renaissance Culture and Style. 20 April 2011

.

Bower, Michael. Capistrano School. 2010. 20 April 2011.

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The Council of Trent. 2010. 28 April 2011.

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The Renaissance Era: Secular Music. 20 April 2011.

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