8-2Music

WHAT WERE POPULAR FORMS OF MUSIC AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND?
//Answer prepared by Maddie P.// Music in Elizabethan England was diverse, sophisticated, and music an important aspect of everyday life. Musicians, and the average person were able to sing and play instruments, to entertain themselves and others, or to help the repetitive, bland tasks of the lower class.

Explained by, Michael Best, "Music in England" __Elizabethan music: The Madrigal__, music was used at Church, in plays to enhance a scene, or to reflect moods. Elizabethan Music was split up into five different categories, Elizabethan Church Music, Court Music, Street music, Town Music and Theatre Music. Although not one of the dominant categories, Elizabethan house Music was immensely popular. During Elizabethan’s Golden Age, many diverse composers and English music schools and types of music emerged. The Anthem, Madrigal, the Masque, and Opera were fresh musical genres. Composers such as William Byrd, Robert Johnson and Thomas Tallis were all incorporated, and born with Elizabethan England’s Golden Age.

Every person was required to attend Sunday mass where graceful, lovely music was much like the Court. “Composers would compose pieces for the Church and because of their voice in Music two distinct forms of Music were formed, Ayre and Madrigal,” according to L.K Alchin "Elizabethan Era" __Elizabethan Music.__ Madrigal first sophisticated Elizabethan England music. Because the 1500’s were the high point of liturgy in the church, many different styles of music were formed and so were many Church songs. Songs such as ‘sacred songs’, canzonets, a song of a dancelike character and ballets, a vocal similar to the madrigal style, were well known Church Music. The Church’s Music was distinct to the point that they named Church Music for what it sounded like, Choral Polyphony, meaning more than one part. Composers William Byrd and Thomas Tallis were the head Elizabethan England Church Music Composers.

Queen Elizabeth hired 70 of her own musicians and singers. Among her favorite composers were William Byrd, Robert Johnson and Thomas Campion. Court Music was extremely diverse. Traditional music, solemn Church music, simple ballads and sophisticated madrigal. The Musicians would usually play for the courtiers in the Minstrel Galley, from L.K Alchin "Elizabethan Era" __Elizabethan Music.__ The bubonic plague, a serious bacterial infection that could be fatal, tormented England, making travel hard and replacing Theater, street and travel musicians were replaced with traveling minstrels. The traveling minstrels, a medieval poet or musician, would play during the weekly markets rare fairs. Because the musicians had to move around their instruments remained fairly light and easily transportable. Instruments such as the flute and the recorder were used. Street Music was far from the sophisticated Elizabethan madrigal music, as mentioned in, Michael Best, "Music in England" __Elizabethan music: The Madrigal.__

Rather large towns in England had Waits, or official musicians. The Waits usually used high pitched instruments or hautboys, eventually these instruments because the first alarms. Waits overtime drifted into groups that would be hired by certain towns. The Waits had mandatory performances such as civic ceremonies and occasions. Because these were mandatory they were financed by the town and they were free to the public, from Peter Chrisp //Shakespeare//.

The Elizabethans dedication and devotion to music was shown in Shakespeare’s plays. William Shakespeare divided his theater pieces into three categories – Histories, tragedies, and comedies. Each different category had different emotions, therefore different instruments and music. Theater Music became one of the most popular forms of music because of its different forms, according to L.K. Alchin "Elizabethan Era" __Elizabethan Music.__

House Music was music played by the Noblemen’s employed musicians. The middle and upper classes were expected to be able to play an instrument and read music. Music and lyrics could be sold separately and town markets. Usually the upper class men would learn to play stringed instruments such as the violin or cello as stated in L.K. Alchin, "Elizabethan Era" __Elizabethan Musical Instruments.__

Elizabethan Music was extremely diverse, and so were the instruments. The instruments had four different categories, wind, stringed and percussion and keyboard much like today, according to L.K. Alchin, "Elizabethan Era" __Elizabethan Musical Instruments.__

Wind instruments were instruments that had to be blown through like a trumpet or bagpipe, and stringed instruments had to be plucked or bowed such as a violin. Percussion instruments were various forms of drums or bells and keyboard instruments were things such as the organ and spinet, from L.K. Alchin, "Elizabethan Era" __Elizabethan Musical Instruments.__

During the Elizabethan England Era instruments such as the violin, church organ and hautboy, which is a wind instrument that sounded through a reed, similar to today’s oboe, refined the sound of medieval times. One of the most popular instruments was made during the medieval times, the lute. The lute became so popular that new genres of music were formed. The lute was a musical instrument that was so to speak a ‘hybrid’ between a guitar and a violin. It had the body of a guitar and a curved neck and tuning pegs like a violin as stated by L.K. Alchin, "Elizabethan Era" __Elizabethan Musical Instruments.__

“Elizabethan songs rarely had a specified instrument to play and so the musicians could make the piece one in his own by chasing the instrument,” according to L.K. Alchin, "Elizabethan Era" __Elizabethan Musical Instruments.__

Music was a vital part of the people of Elizabethan England. They would use it in church on the street, in their homes, and they would even create their own songs while working. Without music theater would not have been as suspenseful or meaningful as it is and many styles and instruments that we have today wouldn’t exist. Works Cited: mm 4. Chrisp, Peter. //Shakespeare//. New York: DK Publishing, 2002. 
 * 1) Alchin, L.K. . "Elizabethan Era ." __Elizabethan Music__ 20 Mar 2008 8 Mar 2009 .
 * 2) Alchin, L.K. . "Elizabethan Era ." __Elizabethan Musical Instruments__ 20 Mar 2008. 8 Mar 2009 mu sic.htm>.
 * 3) Best, Michael . "Music in England ." __Elizabethan music: the madrigal__ Nov 2008 8 Mar 2009 .