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Chapter 7
Thomas Weelkes
Chapter at a Glance
3. Listen to This First
4. Texture: Polyphony in Three Voices
6. Word Painting in the Renaissance Madrigal
8. Listening Guide:
10. Expand Your Playlist: The English Madrigal
12. Expand Your Playlist: The Italian Madrigal
Chapter Objectives
After reading this chapter and listening to the work, students should be able to:
Key Concepts
three-voice texture, poetic meter and musical meter, shifting meters, syncopation, word
painting, madrigal
Chapter Highlight: The Madrigal
The madrigal, usually written for three to six voices, was the most important type of
secular song in the Renaissance. The genre emerged in Italy and then found its way to
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Chapter Summary
Madrigals have proven quite resilient across time
feature madrigals (usually English madrigals but occasionally mixed with Italian ones)
are popular events used as fundraisers for various causes. This sixteenth-century genre
originated in Italy but spread to England during the latter part of the century and
William Kemp, a fellow actor and friend of Shakespeare, who was particularly associated
with Morris dance.
Listening Guide
Students can be instructed to listen first for the changing meters, and speaking the text
MyMusicLab Resources
Automated Listening Guide: Thomas Weelkes:
Animated Notation
Chapter Audio: Chapter 7
Discussion Topics and Critical Thinking Questions
5. Discuss the meaning o
Why do you think it seems to have been so well liked by members of the Renaissance
society?
6.
7. Changing meter in the middle of a piece might seem difficult. Have the students speak
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Activities and Exercises
Have students do some research on the Internet to discover information about the use
ar whether or not the music exists
today.
Journaling Prompt
In the textbook, the author makes connections between Weelkes and Shakespeare. Have
you seen any films about Shakespeare (e.g., Shakespeare in Love) or Shakespearean
characters (e.g., with Kevin Kline)? What type of music