A quiz on the history of the Reformation, choral singing, a pupil-led history recap of major reasons for the split of the Catholic church – this week’s Expo had it all! Music and RPE (Religion, Philosophy & Ethics) combined to draw out the impact on music of religious schism across England and Europe. RPE pupils Zara and Shannon (Year 12) contributed confidently with the factual, historic background, and described how the oscillation between Catholic and Protestant monarchs in England had a huge impact on music of the era. The pupil audience enjoyed hearing the music of Thomas Tallis contrasted with that of John Taverner, helpfully aided by sheet music handouts, to tease out the juxtapositions in specific musical terms. They were very ably guided in this by Music scholars Tallulah and Emma (Y12), who explained the distinction between melodramatic writing (more catholic trend) and syllabic writing (more protestant). The whole event was rounded off by a performance by Schola Cantorum of Thomas Tallis’, Glory to thee my God this night. // We were reminded that Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral at either end of Victoria Street in central London are venues to hear more of both styles. See more here.
I really enjoyed this week’s Expo, where I learnt that the Protestant church tends to keep English lyrics in their music however the Catholic church has used Latin more frequently. Additionally, I learnt that the Protestant church uses music where every syllable has a note but in catholic music the vocals are stretched over multiple notes. The Expo was a great experience where I could learn about how religion affected the development of music and how to notice these key features in the music I listen to today. – Maddy, Y10
