Take a whirlwind tour of different types of canons and rounds. This atelier mixes short theoretical and historical insights with hands-on practice, listening and a bit of improvisation.
We’ll kick off with the basics: unison rounds and rhythmic canons. As we go, we’ll add more voices to the mix. You’ll also get to hear some full-choir canons from the 16th and 20th centuries.
Next, we’ll set our sights on the prolation canon, also called the proportional canon. Back in the Renaissance, this was the ultimate contrapuntal challenge, mastered by composers like Josquin des Prez and Johannes Ockeghem with incredible skill. In these canons, everyone starts the same phrase at the same time, but at different speeds.
To finish up, we’ll explore the basic principles behind other types of canons. For example, the canon at the upper fifth, whose melody moves through certain intervals. Feeling adventurous? You can even try improvising your own canon, with the rest of the group following your lead! A few centuries ago, this was a must-know skill for every cantor, used to improvise during religious services.
