Renaissance Choral Music – Sheet Music & Scores

Are you looking for renaissance choral music for your choir? Browse our sheet music and scores, take a look at our Renaissance Choral Sheet Music Downloads, and explore the beautiful choral world of the Renaissance Period with Stretta Music today!

Sacred & Secular Music

Music of the Renaissance Period can be clearly divided into two forms, sacred music, motets and masses which were written for the church, and secular music, which reflects the social movements and feelings of renaissance society. The most important forms of renaissance secular music are madrigals, French chansons and polyphonic song.

The Renaissance Choir

In the Renaissance Period, the term choir usually referred to a smaller group of singers, which today would be more commonly described as a chamber choir or consort. By far the largest choir of the renaissance was the Hofkapelle in Munich, which consisted of 56 singers and 30 instrumentalists. Such large forces were quite exceptional, a regular renaissance choir used to consist of 8 to 16 singers. Until the early 18th century, female voices were not allowed in the church, so the soprano and some alto lines were made up of boys’ voices or trebles. Many cathedrals had cathedral schools attached, where music and singing were taught alongside the regular lessons, to maintain the quality and quantity of well-trained trebles for the choirs.

Related Renaissance Links

• Renaissance – Sheet Music
• J. Desprez – Choral Sheet Music
• T. Tallis – Choral Sheet Music
• W. Byrd – Choral Sheet Music
• O. di Lasso – Choral Sheet Music
• G.P. da Palestrina – Choral Sheet Music
• T.L. de Victoria – Choral Sheet Music
• J. P. Sweelinck – Choral Sheet Music
• C. Monteverdi – Choral Sheet Music