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Medieval Music
& the Black Plague
A Medieval overview…
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During the Medieval era, the church dominated the
lives of the people.
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From birth to death, whether you were a peasant, a
servant, a noble, a lord or a King.
Civilization progressed slowly; science was looked
upon with distrust.
Overview continued…
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Focus on life of the Christian Church
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Main reason – people worried about life after death:
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“The problem with life is that it is short and we don’t
know what came before life or what will happen after
we die.”
Believed that the Church was giving the correct answers.
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Period of Change
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Population growth, then huge decline with the plague,
sometimes at a rate of 200 people a day.
Woods were cut and fields ploughed to have crops to feed
the population; change in environment.
General Musical Context
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Sacred – music dedicated to deity or to some
religious purpose.
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Secular – music that is not regarded as religious,
spiritual or sacred.
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Instruments used: Pipe organs, lute (bowed), harps,
recorders, kettledrums, flutes, ivory horns, guitars,
bagpipes, trumpets, drums & cymbals.
Musical Context: Sacred Music
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Music and religion were a shaky pair during the
medieval times.
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The church did not want to promote something that was
seen as a ‘sinful’ act, but people enjoyed it so much that
several musical styles came about that praised God in the
‘proper way’.
One of the earliest forms of music is known today as
Plainchant.

Guido d’Arezzo, an Italian composer and monk
who invented a 4 line staff.
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Neumes – short hand to show the direction of the
pitch.
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These symbols above the words tell the singer which
direction the notes should go.
Composers: Gregorian Monks…
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Gregorian monks were the primary
creators of sacred music during this era.
They had 9 services a day and
performed music for these services.
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Monks divided their day into Hours,
which they also called Offices –
specific music that was sung every
day.
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Any work was immediately ceased at
these times of daily prayer. The nuns
and monks were required to stop what
they were doing and attend the services.
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Listening: Office of the Second Vespers, Nativity
Composer:
Hildegard de Bingen (1098 – 1179)
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A German composer and nun
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Sacred music – 77 chants and
the first musical drama
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Ordo Virtutum: a morality play
portrays 16 female virtues like
Humility, Love, Obedience &
Faith; a Happy Soul, an
Unhappy Soul & the Devil.
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Listening: In principio omnes (from Ordo
Virtutum)
Musical Context: Secular Music
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Much of this music was
lost because it was not
notated
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Often composers of
secular music wrote
pieces for the service of
ladies and about the
poet’s pleasure and love.
They used French texts of
courtly love, rather than
Latin liturgy.
Musical Context: The Musicians
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Troubadours: singing and traveling musicians.
Sang to make money and food.
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Goliards: wandering scholars; made up songs
about drinking and love, also wrote parodies of
religious songs. Traveled in search of education.
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Guilds: unions in the 13th century, because of the
amount of wandering musicians.
Composer:
Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377)
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French poet and composer
who wrote mostly of courtly
love
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Large number of motets
and songs ~ Wrote both
sacred and secular music
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Pieces were very lyrical in
spirit.
• Listening: Rondeau: Rose, Liz, Printemps, Verdure
Piece for 4 voices – 2 men, 2 women
Rose, liz, printemps, verdure
Rose, liz, printemps, verdure
Fleur, baume et tres douce odour
Belle, passes en doucour
Et tous les biens de Nature
Avez, dont je vous aour
Rose, liz, printemps, verdure
Fleur, baume et tres douce odour;
Et quant toute creature
Seurmonte vostre valour
Bien puis dire et par honnour:
Rose, liz, printemps, verdure
Fleur, baume et tres douce odour
Belle, passes en doucour
Rose, lily, spring, greenery
Flower, balm and sweetest perfume
Beauty, you surpass them in
sweetness.
And all the gifts of nature
You have, for which I adore you.
Rose, lily, spring, greenery.
Flower, balm and sweetest perfume
And since all creatures
You surpass in worth
I must say in all honor:
Rose, lily, spring, greenery.
Flower, balm and sweetest perfume
Beauty, you surpass them in
sweetness
Danse Macabre
based on the Black Death
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Folk dances were very important during this era:
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Round dances
Caroles
Stamping dances
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One example of this is the Danse Macabre - this
particular dance was create to represent how the
plague attacked people from all walks of life.
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The people are typically shown as skeletons or
corpses in a procession, usually dancing.
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The theme of the Danse Macabre has been used
since the 15th century in paintings, theatre, music,
literature, and later in film.
Black Death
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The bubonic plague – usually referred to as
“Black Death” – first broke out in Asia.
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Rats with fleas infected cargo ships sailing
east to west… first noticed in Black Sea ports
in 1347.
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Spread rapidly though trade routes to Italy,
France and England (and beyond).
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The poor living in crowded and
unsanitary living quarters were
affected the most, but no class of
society escaped the plague.
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Victims would develop swollen
glands and large lumps (called
buboes)… then black or red
spots… open sores… then
coughing up blood… then in most
cases death.
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Very few people survived
– most dead within days,
some even within hours.
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In some communities,
1/3 or 1/2 of the
population died no one
knew what caused it or
how to treat it.
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Many people thought this
(along with the outbreak
of famine and war)
signaled the end of the
world.