Initial Thoughts: I chose to focus on a cappella singing for this assignment, because I think that the sound of a group of skilled vocalists singing together is one of the most special and unique musical sounds. I think that it is able to touch something deep inside of the listener that an instrument is often unable to reach. While I have never had the opportunity to be in a formal choir or some other vocal ensemble, I do enjoy singing. I hope to be in a choir at some point! A cappella music has undergone many changes, particularly over the past century; however, it is still enjoyed by many listeners around the world.
Pieces Chosen for Analysis: For this assignment, I chose to include three songs - one from the 17th century and two modern works. The audio for each of these videos is at the end of this section, and they are listed in the order presented here in the discussion.
Miserere mei, Deus by Allegri, the piece I chose from the 17th century, falls in the Baroque period of music, which lasted from approximately 1600-1750 (Masterclass, 2021). It is written in the falsobordone style, which is a technique of harmonizing on a traditional Gregorian chant (Classical Net, 2022). I happened upon this piece as I was researching a cappella music for this project, and did not realize the mystery associated with this piece and rules governing its performance when it was written. It seems that not long after Allegri wrote this piece, a pope during that time liked it so much that he decided to forbid its transcription and the piece was only used in the Sistine Chapel during Holy Week. An additional mysterious story surrounding this piece involves Mozart. It is said that he visited the Sistine Chapel to hear the famous Miserere mei, Deus, and then promptly went home and wrote down the music from memory (Classical Net, 2022). I find it absolutely incredible that a person could remember so many details about a piece, in order to write it down. Personally, this piece sounds extremely complex, especially with all the interwoven vocal lines. It is based on Psalm 51 from the Hebrew Bible, and the title (in English) literally means, "God, have mercy on me". The song was originally intended to be used during Holy Week. Though solemn and sung in Latin, I found this piece to be enjoyable and full of amazing harmonies and polyphony.
I chose two modern songs as examples for this assignment, mainly because I think May it Be by Voces8 is absolutely beautiful, and I felt that the second piece (Beauty and the Beast A Cappella Medley by BYU Vocal Point ft. Lexi Walker) helps to show how drastically many of the a cappella works have changed between the seventeenth century and present time (more on that later). As a side note, I have really enjoyed some other songs performed by Lexi Walker, including Tiny Voice, though it is not a cappella.
The first modern song is one that someone shared with me earlier this year and I immediately put it on replay, because I enjoyed it so much. There is one really amazing moment at 0:43 where the Second Soprano (Eleonore Cockerham) almost seems to blend voices with the First Soprano (Andrea Haines). I had to listen to this particular section several times, before I realized that Eleonore keeps singing in the same range, while Andrea is the one who comes in with the very high pitch. I love how this song by Voces8 has such a "clean" and ringing quality to it. The Gramophone Magazine wrote that "The singing of Voces8 is impeccable in its tone and balance. They bring a new dimension to the word 'ensemble' with meticulous timing and tuning."
The second modern song by BYU Vocal Point ft. Lexi Walker, Beauty and the Beast Medley, has quite a bit of beatboxing in it, and is lively, energetic, and fun at the beginning. Towards the end, it transitions to the feel of a slow waltz, similar to the original Disney movie. I really enjoyed how the vocalists and dancers depicted scenes from the movie in real life, along with their performance of the songs themselves. The song has an entirely different mood than the song by Voces8, but I think that it demonstrates the contemporary style really well.
Miserere mei by Allegri - 1630, Italy (as performed by Tenebrae and directed by Nigel Short, 2018)
May it Be Arr. M. Sheeran - 2018, Great Britain (as performed by Voces8)
Beauty and the Beast A Cappella Medley - 2017, USA (as performed by BYU Vocal Point ft. Lexi Walker)
Origin and History of A Cappella Singing: A cappella music probably dates back to the earliest civilization. It seems that the earliest forms of a cappella were of a religious nature, particularly Christianity, Judaism, and Islam (Wikipedia, 2022). These earliest a cappella pieces or chants were presumably handed down from one generation to another, as they were not originally written down like the music that we have today. Since the pieces that I chose for this analysis span a period of a little less than 400 years, we can first focus on the Baroque period which lasted about 150 years, as mentioned previously. This period in music was characterized by musical forms such as opera, oratorio, and cantata (Music of the Baroque, 2019). Though we will not discuss these forms in detail in this post, it is important to note that the cantata, for example, was used in a religious context. There were many composers during the Baroque period (and other periods in music) that earned a salary by writing music for church services.
After the Baroque period, in the 19th century, there was a renewed interest in Renaissance polyphony, which is when the term a cappella actually came to mean "unaccompanied vocal music" (Wikipedia, 2022). In the United States, the early 20th century saw the start of numerous choral groups, including the famous Northwestern A Cappella Choir, which was founded by Peter Christian Lutkin in 1906 (superprof, 2022). In earlier America, spirituals sung in the South were most certainly a form of a cappella music, as well. As a cappella music gained popularity in America with the creation of a cappella groups and ensembles, the Barbershop and Doo-wop styles also came into being (superprof, 2022). Since then, a cappella music has transitioned into the contemporary style, and techniques such as beatboxing have become much more common than in the past.
Changes in Musical Elements Between Selected Works: While there are numerous musical elements that have changed in a cappella pieces between the seventeenth century in the present day, for these three pieces, I will primarily focus on articulation (or special effects) and rhythm. In addition to these two musical elements, I think that the lyrics between the 17th century and the present day works are obviously very different. Most, if not all, of the works from the 17th century were somehow tied to the church or church services, whereas today, that it not always the case.
--Articulation: I think the greatest distinction between the work by Allegri and the modern pieces is that of articulation. While Miserere mei, Deus and May it Be might seem similar in their articulation, I think that the first song is much gentler, with longer melody lines overall and more "overlap" between the different vocalists. Beauty and the Beast Medley is a complete contrast to the other two pieces, and clearly shows the beatboxing technique (imitating percussion/percussive sounds with the voice). I think the BYU Vocal Point does an excellent job incorporating beatboxing into the medley.
--Rhythm: Early a cappella works were more chant-like and overall, probably more repetitive than most contemporary a cappella works. It is easy to hear the chant-like rhythm in Miserere mei, Deus, where there is a single vocalist (0:47). I think that the most obvious change in rhythm between the 17th century and present day a cappella songs is the use of strong syncopations. This is particularly evident in the the Beauty and the Beast Medley, and many other contemporary pieces. While there may have been some syncopation or a "backbeat" type used in early a cappella music, this was not normal or accepted like it is today. Part of the syncopation emphasis or lack thereof could also be due to the tempo of the song of interest.
Final Thoughts: After exploring the older a cappella music along with modern works, I find both to be appealing for different reasons. I like how the older a cappella music sounds ethereal, and how there is often so much history and cultural or religious influence behind these works. I find appeal in the modern a cappella works mainly because many of them are energetic and are very creative in how they use beatboxing to accompany the lyrics. Of course, there are slower, meditative contemporary a cappella works, but overall I think that I would choose the works from the 17th century, such as the example for this post.
References and Additional Sources:
"A cappella." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc., 13 Oct. 2022. Web. 18 Oct. 2022,
I agree with you about how beatboxing has become more prevalent in modern covers/writings of Capella songs. I once performed in a choir, but because of Covid and life events, I have taken a step back although I still sing quite often. The thing I remember best in the choir is when we sang 'My Bonnie Lie Over the Ocean' in a round while standing up/sitting down after every "B" sound to train our abs. Hearing a Capella makes me miss the harmonization and its fundamental part in choirs. Only recently I found one I was a Mezzo-Soprano although I usually ended up with Soprano parts. I went to a school with many very musically inclined students although we were not a school for music. It definitely makes me miss the morning singing, once some of us got to school sometimes someone would play a song on an instrument and many people would gather around and sing along. Sounds like a fairy tale don't it?
I also agree that the change in tempo could be the cause of syncopation. There was an interesting trend upwards in both tempo and pitch. This could be a departure from the Gregorian chants you cited in your intro, although its roots there are simply fascinating.
I wish you luck on joining a Choir, it is a magical experience with the right people. I believe Capella and Choir is a genre of music that is wonderful for creating a feeling of community that may be the feeling you are getting at that some other genres of music aren't as easily capable of creating. That would make sense for its use in church and worship settings. It's like being wrapped in a blanket of sound, each voice threads weaving together around you. I mean you can't have a Harmony of one.
I agree, the history, cultural, and religious influence in older a cappella pieces are pretty great and it is a delicate sounding style. I have noticed the change in special effects in alot of music styles and it can be amazing what happens through innovation. I really like your choices in a cappella examples. The modern a cappella is noticeably different and has more articulation than older pieces of work, which make it pretty unique. I know alot of modern artists do covers of older a cappella songs and they add a modern twist to them, you should check it out.
I agree with you about how beatboxing has become more prevalent in modern covers/writings of Capella songs. I once performed in a choir, but because of Covid and life events, I have taken a step back although I still sing quite often. The thing I remember best in the choir is when we sang 'My Bonnie Lie Over the Ocean' in a round while standing up/sitting down after every "B" sound to train our abs. Hearing a Capella makes me miss the harmonization and its fundamental part in choirs. Only recently I found one I was a Mezzo-Soprano although I usually ended up with Soprano parts. I went to a school with many very musically inclined students although we were not a school for music. It definitely makes me miss the morning singing, once some of us got to school sometimes someone would play a song on an instrument and many people would gather around and sing along. Sounds like a fairy tale don't it?
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the change in tempo could be the cause of syncopation. There was an interesting trend upwards in both tempo and pitch. This could be a departure from the Gregorian chants you cited in your intro, although its roots there are simply fascinating.
I wish you luck on joining a Choir, it is a magical experience with the right people. I believe Capella and Choir is a genre of music that is wonderful for creating a feeling of community that may be the feeling you are getting at that some other genres of music aren't as easily capable of creating. That would make sense for its use in church and worship settings. It's like being wrapped in a blanket of sound, each voice threads weaving together around you. I mean you can't have a Harmony of one.
I agree, the history, cultural, and religious influence in older a cappella pieces are pretty great and it is a delicate sounding style. I have noticed the change in special effects in alot of music styles and it can be amazing what happens through innovation. I really like your choices in a cappella examples. The modern a cappella is noticeably different and has more articulation than older pieces of work, which make it pretty unique. I know alot of modern artists do covers of older a cappella songs and they add a modern twist to them, you should check it out.
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