Renaissance period
Three English Renaissance composers
| Thomas Tallis 1505 - 1585 | William Byrd 1543 - 1623 | Orlando Gibbons 1583 -1625 |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
Renaissance means 'rebirth' and denotes a period in history where there was a resurgence of interest in culture and learning based on the ideas of the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was a period of great progress in science and astronomy while great explorers from European nations ventured over the oceans on great voyages of discovery.
Sacred choral music still remained as the most important music but composers started to take a much greater interest in composing secular music - music for use outwith the church.
Topics related to just the Renaissance period are covered on the pages below. Alternatively it is possible to study an entire topic through the ages by accessing the musical topics part of the site.
| Early Form - The shape of musical compositions |
| Sacred Choral music - Mass, motet and anthem |
| Secular Choral music - Madrigal, ballett and ayre |
| Instruments - Instruments of the period |
| Instrumental styles - Dances and the groups that played them |
| Renaissance quiz - A test to revise the music of this period |
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