Stick Time: Round, Round, Get a Round

Consider the humble round (AKA canon).

 

A single line of music that can be repeated endlessly (thus, it goes “round and round”), and when layered within itself can form vertical harmonic structures.  Of course, the first round most of us learn is the ubiquitous and oft-maligned “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” – a melody that Gene Roddenberry predicts will survive through the 23rd Century (at the risk be being labeled a colossal geek, 2287 to be exact).

 

As a musical form, the round provides an excellent introduction to part singing, and is without peer as a vehicle for training young singers the basics of contrapuntal independence.  One never goes into a county choral festival setting without a few rounds handy (the voice of bitter experience).

 

While certainly, the round is a valuable educational tool, the form also has solid artistic merit. Here is a performance of a round from a recent ACDA Divisional Conference.  This work, Music est Die donum optimi by the Renaissance master Orlando di Lasso, is available on CPDL.