Does ANYONE here know what this type of song is called?

[Fassa Albrecht]

It's basically a song with two parts, with both parts being sung by two different groups at the SAME time. We often do this in church where the women sing one part (with the backing vocalist on stage) and the men (with oiur bandleader leading) do the other.

[bassman1185]

I've always heard that called a round. It can be done with more than two parts. My church occasionally does it with three.

Actually, on second thought, I'm not sure I'm thinking of the right thing. Are you talking about like on the song "Prince of Peace," where there are two distinct parts, one that ONLY the men sing, and one that ONLY the women sing?

A round is where one part of the group sings one line of the song, and then as they are singing the second line, the second group starts singing the first line, and so on.

[HEIST]

Originally Posted by bassman1185

I've always heard that called a round. It can be done with more than two parts. My church occasionally does it with three.

Actually, on second thought, I'm not sure I'm thinking of the right thing. Are you talking about like on the song "Prince of Peace," where there are two distinct parts, one that ONLY the men sing, and one that ONLY the women sing?

A round is where one part of the group sings one line of the song, and then as they are singing the second line, the second group starts singing the first line, and so on.

Yeah that's what we called it in elementary school when we had to do Christmas concerts/assemblies for parents and stuff.

[bassybill]

Lots of choral music could be described like this. Note that a round (or rondello) involves singing the same parts, but starting at different times. What Fassa describes sounds more like the madrigal form to me, but more modern forms of choral music also fit this description, as I said.

[Bob Clayton]

it's called a Madrigal

[Hoover]

Two parts sung by two different groups of singers simultaneously? Could be a lot of things:

Counterpoint?
Antiphony?
Duet?

I think "madrigal" refers to too specific a style & historical period to be universally applicable to something that's only defined by the number of independent lines.

[CElton]

When not done correctly, I believe the term is "cluster"...

[T-Bird]

Hi, Fassa.

Counterpoint, as Hoover suggests?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterpoint

Like the Scarborough Fair/Canticle "arrangement" by Simon and Garfunkel?

Sam

[MyUsernameHere]

Originally Posted by T-Bird

Hi, Fassa.

Counterpoint, as Hoover suggests?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterpoint

Like the Scarborough Fair/Canticle "arrangement" by Simon and Garfunkel?

Sam

Never trust wikipedia. Two days from now that entry will say a song like the one described is called a "West African Skunk Melody." After I edit it of course.

[T-Bird]

For some odd reason I happen to like that melody, allthough Your description of it might be fitting for some ears.

I didn't ask anyone to trust anything that goes on in the cyberspace, trust is kinda strong word for something that's really not there, isn't it?

Just my 0.02€
Sam