Definitions Deconstructed

Making the Rounds

S. G. Lacey

"Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat.

Please do put a penny in the old man's hat.”

A rousing holiday carol round, executed in the way only The Muppets can. With John Denver as a collaborator. This popular puppet show has helped many a kid learn to speak, read, and, of course, sing, through creative introduction of complex words via amusing commentary. [REF]

Unpacking this children’s classic is going to require a few linked musical terms to be clarified. Descriptions which introduce new verbiage can sometimes lead down a circuitous path. Fortunately, that’s exactly what singing round is all about.

Definitions:

Round = A polyphonic vocal composition in which three or four voices follow each other in a perpetual canon at the unison or octave. [REF]

Canon = An initial melody is imitated at a specified time interval by one or more parts, either at the unison, or at some other pitch. Such imitation may occur in the same note values, in augmentation, or in diminution.

Catch = Indefinitely repeatable pieces in which all voices begin the same melody on the same pitch, but enter at different time intervals.

All catches are rounds, and all rounds are canons. Is this research related to music, sports, or military activity? As it turns out, all of the above.

Deconstruction:

As with many musical terms, the “round” finds its origin in medieval Europe, specifically amongst late Middle Ages musical practitioners. This was an era of jesters, bards, and minstrels. Essentially, song was in its heyday. These belted-out ballads were a means of engaging the crowd, and keeping track of history, even if the lyrics weren’t explicitly accurate.

Dirty digs. Lude lines. Silly satire. Ripe rhymes. All text and techniques were in play. Left to their own devices, individual performers were amusingly engaging. Joining forces resulted in even more absurd and harmonious efforts. Such collaborative presentations were catchy tunes indeed.

There’s one realm where bawdy rounds took shape, and became refined, relatively speaking. In a setting which was by no means refined. The popular gentlemen’s clubs of Europe during the Renaissance period. These misnomer facilities were visited by all manner of individuals, covering a broad range of form, features, and functionality.

This complex combination of characters made numerous revolutionary strides, which defined this era of open enlightenment. Science. Sex. Song. All these realms were areas of deep exploration. While by no means classy, the verbal transgressions that resulted in these dark dens would be considered prude by modern standards.

The 16th through 18th centuries saw rapid proliferation of formal musical rounds, especially throughout England. By cleverly overlaying simple words, and skillfully manipulating voice inflections, a common classy chorus can become a cruder crass catch.

The first comprehensive collection of such songs, dubbed “Pammelia”, was compiled by English musician Thomas Ravenscroft in early 1609. The piece below, a rollicking canon meant for three voices, highlights both the odd terminology of yore, and how easily various phrases could be manipulated as the singers saw fit. [REF]

While rarely credited, Mr. Ravenscroft documented and codified many of the simple but famous melodies which remain popular to this day. Most recognizable is “Three Blind Mice”, originally published in “Deuteromelia” at the end of 1609, his second musical compilation volume.

This jingle is just as well known today as it was way back then. Granted, the childish lyrics haven’t always been so innocent. Leave it to a group of imbibing lads at the pub to take an innocuous verse and make it vulgar. Give a quartet of men some seemingly tame terminology, and see how they run.

One of the most prolific poets of this era was British composer Henry Purcell. Focusing on the Baroque genre, this musical innovator created many famous poems, songs, and even a few full opera scores. His widespread popularity, amongst elites and commoners alike, was based on repetitive beats and witty lyrics. A modern rapper, ahead of his time.

Mr. Purcell’s piece, “’Tis Women”, with simple alternating line rhymes in a four-part harmony, is representative of this canonic style. [REF]

Rounds, also known as perpetual canons, are very common in nursery rhymes. Many of the most entrenching earworms, engrained in children and parents alike, highlight this repetitive singing technique. Hence, their memorable melody.

Steady cadence and repeated lyrics are a key to retention, not just amongst kids, but for all humans. There’s not a more annoying yet known tune in the English language portfolio than “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”. Here’s a simple execution of this jingle, with some modern video manipulation, which personifies a perfectly executed round. [REF]

Writing rounds is quite difficult, with care needed to craft each word and note. Sometimes single lines must operate in counterpointe, with melodic and harmonious interplay.

In musical terminology, canons, and by extension rounds, and by further extension catches, are a type of polyphonic texture. In layman’s terms, this means each instrument or voice operates independent from all others in the composition. Every sound moves forward together, but with different entry points and continuing cadence.

Composers have a few different ways to denote the quantity and timing of singers in a piece. For a single stanza offering, the point where each new voice starts can be identified with a vertical bar and numerical figure. Alternately, with multiple lines on the sheet, one singer starts, then others join sequentially, as the leader moves down through the song’s progression.

These works can quickly become incredibly complicated, limited only by the creator’s imagination, and the required collection of performers’ ability to execute.

Singing has sprung into the public consciousness in recent decades through all manner of reality TV music shows and talent contests. American Idol. Perfect Pitch. The Voice. Glee. The Masked Singer. Americans love musical performances. As long as they get to observe and judge from the couch, as opposed to actually taking the intimidating leap to actual participation on stage.

Still, more folks are partaking in the performing arts than ever before, even if these brief displays are filmed with cellphones, and distributed via social media platforms. A bold play, as the entire internet is a large, and judgmental, audience.

A cappella is now a part of common public lexicon. A large number of aligned, vocally diverse, well-practiced, singers provides the opportunity for very complex rhyme schemes. Many custom canon offerings have been crafted specifically for these group choir troops.

The impressive intricacy of this approach is best highlighted by a unique piece from the University of Michigan glee club. Starting with the odd initial lyrics of “We Took Off Our Ugly Clothes”, this talented collection of collegiates utilizes a dynamic round with various voice types and inflections to offer up a hidden pronouncement, which one must listen closely to hear. [REF]

This nuanced technique requires very tight alignments between the various performers. Lots of practice, with a consistent cadence, and complementary cords. Seemingly, there’s a maximum number of skilled singers and rhythmic repeats that can be cleanly executed using this technique. But with nearly 100 students from the U of M performing in aligned melodic harmony, lyrical transformation opportunities are essentially endless.

Not to be outdone by amateurs, many modern musicians have incorporated rounds into their songs in various forms. As most bands only have a few singers, this unique technique typically only occurs during brief periods in the work. Thus, it’s becoming more common to utilize the same person’s voice overlayed via electronically manipulated means. Another of the many benefits of modern digital synthesizer capabilities.

Some of the best examples of canonic innovation predictably occur in the Bluegrass genre. The propensity for multiple vocalists, especially during a chorus, combined with numerous string instruments of linked but different, size and sound, make this type of music a hotbed for repetitive rounds.

The Steep Canyon Rangers offer up one of the more novel examples of a modified canon, in their original song “Between Midnight, and the Dawn”. When performed live, as shown in the following video, the interplay of three musicians around a single microphone provides additional dynamism to the performance. A unique implementation indeed. [REF]

In fact, nearly any popular song can be turned into a round, which a few compositional tweaks, and a bevy of proficient vocalists. Modern beats like “All of Me”, “Can’t Stop the Feeling”, “Dynamite”, “Hallelujah”, and “We Will Rock You”, have all been repurposed into multi-part duets with some clever compositional tweaks. [REF]

This holiday season, when the carolers come around, be it outside the local supermarket, in the church pews on Sunday, or standing on the snowy home stoop, give them credit for their skills. Coordinated execution of rousing rounds takes countless hours of practice, relying on perfect harmony and timing to clearly convey both the explicit and hidden messages.

As such, don’t be afraid to toss these brave performers a few round coins for their efforts.

Dynamic “Round” of Songs:

“Blinded By The Light” – Manfred Mann: Classic rock staple with an offset double chorus overlay beginning at 6-minute mark. [REF]
“God Only Knows” – Beach Boys: A popular piece used in many commercials, starting at 2 minutes, the outro ending is a simple round. [REF]
“Hold On” – Dashboard Confessional: Slow instrumental song with two-part catch throughout. [REF]