| Carol (music) |
Article Index for Carol |
Website Links For Carol |
Information AboutCarol (music) |
|
Today the carol is represented almost exclusively by the Christmas Carol , and to a much lesser extent by the Easter carol, however despite their present association with religion, this has not always been the case. HISTORY The word ''carol'' is thought to have been derived from the French word ''caroller'', a circle dance accompanied by singers (in turn derived from the Latin ''choraula''). The carol was very popular as a dance song from the 1150s to the 1350s , after which its use expanded as a processional song sung during Festival s, while others were written to accompany religious Mystery Play s (such as the ''Coventry Carol'', written in 1591 ). Following the Protestant Reformation (and the banning of many religious festivities during the British Puritan Interregnum ), the carol went into a decline due to Calvinist aversian to things "pope-ish". However, composers such as William Byrd composed Motet -like works for Christmas which they termed carols; and folk-carols continued to be sung in rural areas. Nonetheless, carols did not regain their former popularity until a revival in the 19th Century when many surviving non-religious carols were re-discovered and arranged for church use with new Christian lyrics. In modern times, songs that may once have been regarded as carols are now classified as songs (especially Christmas Song s), even those that retain the traditional attributes of a carol - celebrating a seasonal topic, alternating verses and chorus, and danceable music. BIBLIOGRAPHY Important anthologies of carols include:
SEE ALSO
EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|