The document is a curriculum guide for music education covering various folk songs and orchestral concepts for grades 3 to 8, detailing objectives, materials, procedures, and assessments. Students engage in activities that involve performing songs, understanding rhythm and pitch, and learning about orchestral instrument families. It emphasizes collaborative learning, the importance of ensemble performance, and integrating cultural context in music instruction.

1. Holly Meyer
Elementary General Music
Grade 4
Four White Horses
Folk Song from the Virgin Islands
Concept
Folk songs can be accompanied by pitched and un-pitched percussion instruments.
Objectives
Students will:
1. Identify “Four White Horses” as a folk song from the Virgin Islands, and locate
the islands on a map
2. Perform “Four White Horses” with correct rhythms and pitches, both singing
and on Orff percussion instruments
3. Perform “Four White Horses” as a group, both in unison and on independent
part as an ensemble
National Core Music Standards
1. MU:Pr4.2.4c Explain how context (such as social and cultural) informs a
performance.

2. 2. MU:Pr6.1.4a Perform music, alone or with others, with expression and
technical accuracy, and appropriate interpretation.
Ohio Music Standards (For Grade 4)
1. 1PR Sing a varied repertoire with accurate rhythm and pitch and expressive
qualities individually and with others.
2. 3PR Play a variety of classroom instruments with proper technique.
3. 4PR Sing, move, and respond to music from world cultures and different
composers.
4. 6PR Read, write, and perform using sixteenth through whole note values
including syncopated rhythms in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 rhythm.
Materials
1. Visual of “Four White Horses,” lyrics and melody
2. Map of Caribbean Sea
3. Bass xylophone/metallophone, soprano glockenspiel/metallophone (or other
barred mallet instruments)
4. Temple blocks (or wood blocks)
Procedure
1. Introduce “Four White Horses” with a projected visual of the lyrics and
melody. Explain that this is a folk song from the Virgin Islands, a small group of
Islands in the Caribbean Sea, and point out the islands on a map.
2. Teach the melody, with the visual still on the screen for reinforcement. Sing
two measures at a time and ask students to repeat, snapping on rests that
begin or end a measure.
3. Teach bordun part with a body percussion crossover pat on legs white
speaking the words “rain-y day” to the rhythm (mirror - say, whisper, think).
4. Split students into two groups, one doing body percussion bordun and the
other singing and snapping to practice independency of parts.
5. Go to instruments and perform bass and soprano parts on barred instruments.
6. Teach and add temple block part.
7. Perform full song with all 3 instrument parts and singing.
Questions and Closure
1. Where does this folk song come from? Virgin Islands, Caribbean Sea
2. What was the easiest part of this lesson? What was the hardest part?
3. Emphasize importance of working as an ensemble and knowing one’s part
independently, but also listening to how the song sounds with all the parts put
together.

3. Assessment
1. Informally assess student’s ability to perform the song with correct pitches
and rhythms.
2. Informally assess student’s ability to learn body percussion parts and layer in
with the ensemble.
3. Informally assess student’s ability to perform the instrument parts with correct
pitches and rhythms.
Extensions
1. Incorporate a “Four White Horses” hand game movement activity

6. Holly Meyer and Liana Clareson
Elementary General Music
Grade 3
“Ourchestra”
Based on the poem by Shel Silverstein
“So you haven’t got a drum, just beat your belly.
So I haven’t got a horn–I’ll play my nose.
So we haven’t any cymbals–
We’ll just slap our hands together,
And though there may be orchestras
That sound a little better
With their fancy shiny instruments
That cost an awful lot–
Hey, we’re making music twice as good
By playing what we’ve got!”
Objectives
Students will:
1. Discuss the four instrument families of an orchestra.
2. Maintain a steady beat.
3. Learn and perform a poem and rhythmic patterns with body percussion.
4. Perform their pattern with other groups simultaneously (i.e. creation of an
ensemble).
National Core Music Standards
1. MU:Pr5.1.3a - Apply teacher provided and collaboratively developed criteria and
feedback to evaluate accuracy of ensemble performances.
2. MU:Pr5.1.3b Rehearse to refine technical accuracy, expressive qualities, and
identified performance challenges.
3. MU:Cn11.0.3a Demonstrate understanding of relationships between music and
the other arts, other disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life.
Ohio Music Standards (For Grade 3)
1. 1CE: Visually and aurally, identify the four families of orchestral instruments.
2. 7PR: Read, write and perform using sixteenth, eighth, quarter and half notes and
quarter rests in 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 meter.
Important Terms and People To Know
1. Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein (September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an
American poet, singer-songwriter, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of
children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in some works. Translated
into more than 30 languages, his books have sold over 20 million copies.

7. 2. An orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble used in classical music that
contains sections of string (violin, viola, cello and double bass), brass, woodwind,
and percussion instruments.
Procedure
1. Ask who has heard of an orchestra, if they have seen one play, and if they know
what instrument families are in an orchestra (strings, brass, woodwind, and
percussion).
2. Use this as a lead in to the poem. Teachers read “Ourchestra” in the notated
rhythm. Have students keep the steady beat on their laps with spider fingers.
3. Identify what instrument families drum, horn, and cymbals (mentioned in the
poem) are a part of.
4. Have students read the poem with the teachers in the notated rhythm. Have
students keep the steady beat on their laps with spider fingers.
5. Explain how using our bodies, we are going to create the instruments they talk
about in the poem.
6. Teach body percussion ostinatos by rote. Teacher models, and students repeat
after them.
7. Run through the poem, having all students do all the body percussion parts.
8. Divide the class into three groups to represent drums, horns, cymbals.
9. Perform the poem, with teachers conducting, and all students speaking the words
of the poem. Students perform the body percussion part of the instrument group
they are in.
Assessment
1. Informal Visual Assessment: Are students able to tap along to the steady beat?
Are students able to successfully complete the rhythmic patterns on body
percussion?
2. Informal Aural Assessment: Are students speaking the poem with the beat, and
are they successfully completing the rhythm patterns?
Extensions
1. Have a student be the conductor.
2. Have groups switch instrument parts.
Questions and Closure
1. What is an orchestra? What are the four instrument families that perform in an
orchestra?
2. What is different about our orchestra that we made here today?
a. No pitches, just rhythms
b. Imaginary instruments

9. LONG RANGE REHEARSAL PLAN
Jingle Bells (Sort Of), arr. Jay Althouse
Grade 8
Objectives/Goals for Rehearsal # 1:
Students will be able to:
 Respond to and make connections between the traditional Jingle Bells melody and
Jingle Bells (Sort Of)
 Perform measures 9-23 with correct rhythm.
Students will be assessed:
 Through informal observation
Breakdown:
 Listen to recording of Jingle Bells (Sort Of). Ask students to respond to what they hear
verbally by raising their hands- what is the same as the traditional Jingle Bells they
probably already know? What is different?
 Clap, and then drone on text, rhythms for measures 9-23
 Sight read measures 9-23 with an emphasis on rhythm and breathing in correct spots
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Objectives/Goals for Rehearsal # 2:
Students will be able to:
 Perform measures 9-23 with correct rhythms, notes, and cut offs.
 Drone measures 31-50 with correct rhythms and cut-offs.
Students will be assessed:
 Through informal observation
Breakdown:
 Drone text in rhythm for measures 9-23 as a review.
 Learn/review notes for measures 9-23. Work on any problems spots involving rhythm,
notes, or cut offs. Work with individual sections as needed.
 Drone measures 31-50 in rhythm. Note rests and cut-offs (especially measures 34, 38, 43,
47). Snap on cut-offs. Begin slowly, then up to tempo.

10. Objectives/Goals for Rehearsal # 3:
Students will be able to:
 Perform measures 1-65 with correct rhythm, notes, and cut-offs.
 Perform measures 9-23 with strong, expressive diction.
Students will be assessed:
 Through informal observation
Breakdown:
 Drone measures 31-50 in rhythm. Snap on cut-offs.
 Sight read measures 31-50 with an emphasis on rhythm and proper cut-offs. Continue
snapping on cut-offs.
 Sing through/review measures 9-23 for notes, rhythms, and proper breaths.
 Discuss and rehearse strong diction for measures 9-23: emphasize j’s, “hwat” fun
 Run beginning-measure 65 to check progress.
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Objectives/Goals for Rehearsal # 4:
Students will be able to:
 Perform measures 1-65 with correct rhythms, pitches, cut-offs, and strong diction.
 Drone measures 72-93 on text with correct rhythms and cut-offs.
Students will be assessed:
 By themselves/their peers through writing
 Through informal observation

11. Breakdown:
 Written check in with students: what they like or don’t like about the piece so far,
strengths and challenges for themselves and the ensemble.
 Run beginning-measure 65 for review.
 Discuss and rehearse good diction for measures 31-48: somewhat like refrain, emphasis
on strong beginning consonants like “d,” “sn,” “sl,” “g,” “b”
 Address cut-offs for measures 85 and 89. Drone measures 72-93 on the text, snapping
on cut-offs.
 Sight read measures 72-93 on text, snapping on cut-offs.

12. Objectives/Goals for Rehearsal # 5:
Students will be able to:
 Perform measures 1-107 with correct pitches, rhythms, and strong diction.
Students will be assessed:
 Through informal observation
Breakdown:
 Review: drone measures 72-93 on the text, snapping on cut-offs.
 Sight read and then note check measures 72-93, continue snapping on cut-offs.
 Discuss and practice strong diction for measures 72-93: emphasize beginning consonants
“m,” “th,” “d,” and ending “t”
 Perform measures 1-107 with correct pitches, rhythms, and strong diction.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objectives/Goals for Rehearsal # 6:
Students will be able to:
 Perform measures 1-107 with correct pitches, rhythms, and strong diction.
 Transition successfully from the refrain in F to the refrain in G.
Students will be assessed:
 Through informal assessment
Breakdown:
 Review: perform measures 1-107 with correct pitches, rhythms, and strong diction
 Ask students to look over measures 108-end: what is different? (key change, final
ending)
 Sight read measures 108-123.
 Rehearse/run transition from refrain in F to refrain in G.

13. Objectives/Goals for Rehearsal # 7:
Students will be able to:
 Perform measures 93-123 with correct notes, rhythms, and strong diction.
 Drone measures 123-end on text in rhythm.
Students will be assessed:
 Through informal observation
Breakdown:
 Review measures 93-123 for key change- correct notes, rhythms, and strong diction.
 Practice clapping and counting note lengths and cut-offs for measures 123-end.
 Drone measures 123-end on text in rhythm with proper cutoffs and breath spots. Snap
on cut-offs.
 Sight read measures 123-end with men and women separately.
 Run measures 116-end with all voices.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objectives/Goals for Rehearsal #8:
Students will be able to:
 Perform measures 108-end with correct rhythms, pitches, and diction.
Students will be assessed:
 Through informal assessment
Breakdown:
 Review: drone measures 123-end on text snapping on cutoffs.
 Run measures 108-end.
 Correct any pitch, rhythm, or diction problems in specific voices on these measures.

14. Goals/Objectives for Rehearsal # 9:
Students will be able to:
 Perform the piece from start to finish with correct pitches, rhythms, and diction.
Students will be assessed:
 Through singing tests in small groups (2-3 students on each part)
Breakdown:
 Run entire piece from start to finish
 Assess students on whole piece in small groups (2-3 students on each part)
 Spend any remaining time rehearsing challenge areas during singing test
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goals/Objectives for Rehearsal # 10:
Students will be able to:
 Perform refrains and verses with different vocal articulations, dynamics, and moods
Students will be assessed:
 Through informal assessment
Breakdown:
 Ask students for descriptive adjectives about the mood of the piece and ways this can
be reflected in their performance (fun, happy, spirited, joyful- can be expressed with
tempo, diction, dynamics)
 Work on articulating chorus with a very full sound, mezzo forte, using beginning
consonants they have worked on to propel the sound
 Work on contrasting verses with this- make more light, bouncy, sound
 Run full piece with this in mind.

15. Goals/Objectives for Rehearsal # 11:
Students will be able to:
 Perform measures 108-end with expressive dynamics, pure vowels, and good
intonation.
Students will be assessed:
 Through informal observation
Breakdown:
 Work ending (measures 108-end)
 Dynamics: forte on m. 108-123, mezzo-piano m. 124-126, mezzo-forte m. 128-130,
crescendo to forte through m. 131-132, loudest moments of piece 135-end
 Work pure vowels and correct pitches/intonation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goals/Objectives for Rehearsal # 12:
Students will be able to:
 Sing the piece with correct pitches and rhythms, expressive dynamics, contrast between
sections, and pure vowels.
Students will be assessed:
 Through video recording
 Through written self-assessment
Breakdown:
 Record full piece for students to self-assess: first have a “practice round” run of the
piece. After practice, ask students to respond to what they can improve for the
recording (dynamics, contrast between different sections of the piece, pure vowels)
 Run piece and record.
 Have students listen to their recording and respond in writing: what was successful?
What can be improved before the concert? (For the individual and the whole choir)

16. Goals/Objectives for Rehearsal # 13:
Students will be able to:
 Perform the piece with a blended, ensemble sound and good phrasing
Students will be assessed:
 Through informal observation
Breakdown:
 Discuss self-assessments from last class verbally, allow students to share their thoughts
out loud
 Rehearse piece and work on blend throughout and phrasing in specific places, such as a
crescendo in spots where students may feel tempted to breathe and should not breathe
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goals/Objectives for Rehearsal # 14:
Students will be able to:
 Perform the piece with correct pitches, rhythm, cut-offs, pure vowels, dynamics, and
blend.
Students will be assessed:
 Through informal observation
Breakdown:
 Rehearse piece keeping in mind all the things we have worked on including pitches,
rhythm, cut-offs, pure vowels, dynamics, and blend.
 Last minute correct any individuals/sections who may be singing incorrect pitches or
rhythms.
 Continue working on phrasing and emphasize precision of cut-offs and diction.

17. Goals/Objectives for Rehearsal # 15:
Students will be able to:
 Perform the piece with correct pitches, rhythm, cut-offs, pure vowels, dynamics, and
blend.
 Perform with proper performance etiquette.
Students will be assessed:
 Through informal observation
Breakdown:
 Rehearse piece keeping in mind all the things we have worked on including pitches,
rhythm, cut-offs, pure vowels, dynamics, and blend.
 Continue working on phrasing and emphasize precision of cut-offs and diction.
 Discuss/practice proper performance practice- standing still, not talking between pieces,
smiling because it’s a happy song

18. Winter
on the
Hill
Tree Hill High School’s
Annual Winter Concert
December 11, 2015
Holly Meyer, director of choral ensembles

19. Middle School
Middle School Chorus
Do You Want to Build a Snowman? Arr. Mark Brymer
(Pub. 2014)
Beautiful December Amy Bernon
(Pub. 2009)
Bethlehem Lullaby Arr. Greg Gilpin
(b. 1964)
Riu, Riu, Chiu Arr. Linda Spevacek
(Pub. 1995)
Vive Voce
Carol of the Bells Arr. Steve Kupferschmid
(Pub. 2015)
Hanukkah Nagilah Arr. Linda Spevacek
(Pub. 1999)
Avanza Navidad Arr. Ruth Morris Gray
(Pub. 2013)
African Noel Arr. Dave & Jean Perry
(Pub. 1996)
Lucas Scott, tenor
High School
Women’s Ensemble
Jing-A-Ling, Jing-A-Ling Arr. Mac Huff
(Pub. 2010)
Breath of Heaven Arr. Lloyd Larson
(Pub. 2013)
The Snow Edward Elgar
(1857-1934)
Ogo Ni Fun Oluwa! Arr. William Powell
(Pub. 2012)

20. Men’s Chorus
Little St. Nick Arr. Christopher Peterson
(Pub. 2014)
I’ll Be Home For Christmas Arr. Mark Hayes
(Pub. 2010)
Do You Hear What I Hear? Arr. Harry Simeone
(Pub. 1962)
Betelehemu Arr. Barrington Brooks
(Pub. 1992)
Varsity Singers
Sing We With Gladness Arr. Audrey Snyder
(b. 1953)
S’vivon Arr. Betty Bertaux
(1995)
The Inn by the Edge of the Woods Arr. Ruth Elaine Schram
(Pub. 2015)
Away in a Manger Arr. Ola Gjeilo
(b. 1978)
Kyra Stahr, soprano
Jingle Bells Arr. Mark Hayes
(Pub. 2013)
Concert Choir
Blizzard! Arr. John Parker
(Pub. 2011)
All on a Cold Winter Night Douglas E. Wagner
(Pub. 2011)
Colleen Hickey, oboe
Dona Nobis Pacem Arr. James A. Moore
(Pub. 2003)
Adam Lay Ybouden Sheldon Curry
(Pub. 2011)
A Christmas Jazz Trio Arr. Michele Weir
(Pub. 2008)

21. Text Translations
Hanukkah Nagilah
Hava nagila Let’s rejoice
Have nagila ve-nismeha Let’s rejoice and be happy
Hava neranenah Let’s sing
Hava neranenah ve-nismeha Let’s sing and be happy
Uru, uru ahim! Awake, awake my brothers!
Uru ahim be-lev sameah Awake my brothers with a happy heart
Avanza Navidad
Avanza, avanza Navidad Hurry, hurry Christmas!
¿Cuándo llegarás aquí? When will you get here?
Ando loco desde junio My mind’s been going crazy since June
Tengo tanta ansiedad I’ve been so anxious
Llega, llega, ya For you to come already
Avanza, avanza, Navidad Hurry, hurry Christmas!
Ya no puede esperar I can’t wait one more day
African Noel
Noel, Noel Noel, Noel!
Jesu me kwisa ku zinga ti beto Jesus has come to live with us
Kana nge zola ku zaba mwana If you want to know the child,
Nge fwiti kwisa ku fukama You have to come kneel
Ogo Ni Fun Oluwa!
Ogo ni fun Oluwa! Glory to God in the highest!
Abi Jesu Kristi! Jesus has come to bring unity and peace!
Alafia! Irepo! Epàtewö! Yah! Rejoice, clap, and dance!
Betelehemu
Awa yi o ri Baba gbo jule We are glad that we have Father to trust
Awa yi o ri Baba fehenti We are glad to have a Father to rely upon
Nibo labi Jesu Where was Jesus born?
Nibo lagbe bii Where was he born?
Betelehemu ilu ara Bethlehem the city of wonder
Nibe labi Baba o daju That is where the Father was born for sure
Iyin, nifuno Praise, praise, praise be to Him
Adupe fun o, jooni, We thank thee, We thank Thee for this day,
Baba olo reo Gracious Father
Iyin, fun o Baba anu, Praise be to Thee
Baba toda wasi Merciful Father
S’vivon
Sevivon, sov sov sov Spinning top, spin, spin, spin
Chanukah hu chag tov Chanukah is a great holiday
Sov na sov, ko va cho, A Happy Holiday for everyone
Nes gadol haya po, A great miracle happened there.
Nes gadol haya sham A Happy Holiday for everyone
Sevivon, sov sov sov Spinning top, spin, spin, spin
Dona Nobis Pacem
Dona Nobis Pacem Grant us peace

22. Explanatory Notes
The Middle School Chorus, consisting of 6-8th graders with unchanged voices, begins
their set with Do You Want to Build a Snowman? from Disney’s Frozen. Middle school
students love Frozen, and this song will be familiar to family and friends in the audience,
making it a fun and familiar opening to our concert. The Middle School chorus will then
perform two ballads: Beautiful December, followed by Bethlehem Lullaby. These pieces will
showcase the students’ pure vowels and beautiful legato sound. This will be followed by
Riu, Riu, Chiu. This upbeat Spanish carol contrasts the ballads with a rhythmic, staccato feel.
Vive Voce is 6-8th grade chorus, featuring a mix of changed and unchanged voices.
Vive Voce opens their set with Carol of the Bells published by BriLee, in a range that caters
to the cambiata. Adjustments can also be made for male students with a lower voice that is
fully changed. The next two songs Vive Voce will perform are Hanukkah Nagilah and the
Spanish Holiday song Avanza Navidad. The challenges in these pieces will be learning the
Hebrew and Spanish texts with correct pronunciation and diction. Both of these pieces are
fast in tempo, and provide a contrast to the Carol of the Bells. Last is African Noel. Once
again, pronunciation and diction will be a challenge. This piece features percussion and will
be a fun closer to their set.
The High School Women’s Ensemble will begin their set with the Andrews Sisters’
pop song Jing-a-Ling, Jing-a-Ling. In this fast-paced piece, the emphasis will be on accents
and diction. To show off the sweetness and pure tone of their voices, the women will then
perform Amy Grant’s Breath of Heaven and Elgar’s The Snow. The women will end their set
switching gears to a more powerful and percussive piece, Ogi Ni Fun Oluwa, where they can
show off a different side of their voices.
The High School Men’s Chorus’s set will begin with two popular pop tunes, Little St.
Nick and I’ll Be Home for Christmas. Because these are familiar pieces to many people, the
men will be able to focus on quality of tone and stage presence. They will also perform Do
You Hear What I Hear? and Betelehemu. In Betelehemu, there should be a full, resounding
tone that echoes throughout the auditorium. The students also must work to execute the
African diction properly.
The Varsity Singers, a select ensemble of about 30 advanced high school students,
will then perform Sing We With Gladness, a madrigal written for SSATTBB. This will
challenge the singers to hold their own on their parts and bring out the text painting. They
will follow this with the Hannukah tune S’vivon. In this piece, the singers must perform the
Hebrew words correctly in the quick tempo. They will follow this with two ballads to
contrast the previous two pieces: The Inn by the Edge of the Woods and Away in a Manger.
The students will be challenged to use appropriate dynamics and smooth phrasing in these
pieces. This particular arrangement of Away in the Manger is acapella, with a soloist over
top of the quiet chords the ensemble creates. The Varsity Singers will close their set with an
updated version of Jingle Bells with more complicated rhythms and harmonies than the
original.

23. The Concert Choir, a group of about 50 moderately advanced high school singers
will close the concert. They will begin with Blizzard!, a piece that uses the voice to create
the sound of a snow storm. In this piece, students must use dynamics, articulation, and the
proper intensity to paint this picture for the audience. All On a Cold Winter Night is a
beautiful legato melody inspired by Greensleeves. Dona Nobis Pacem is written for
SSAATTBB, which will make the part singing more difficult than usual. In these pieces, they
must focus on phrasing, text painting, and tranquil legato singing. Adam Lay Ybounden
takes text from an anonymous Medieval Christmas poem, and the main challenge will be to
articulate the correct words, notes, and phrasing at a fast tempo. The Concert Choir will
close the show with A Christmas Jazz Trio. This medley uses the acapella jazz style to
perform parts of Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, O Christmas Tree, and Winter Wonderland.
Students and audiences will enjoy hearing the acapella jazz style, and it will push students
to sing in a style they do not frequently perform.

24. JOSQUIN DE PREZ:
Form, Voicing, and the International Style
Holly Meyer
Music 211: A History of Western Music
November 23, 2015

25. Josquin de Prez, known simply as “Josquin,” is one of the most prolific yet
mysterious composers of the Renaissance era. Presumably living from 1450-1521, Josquin
is one of the more prominent members of the Franco-Flemish school of composers.
Josquin’s life trajectory remains mysterious to this day. Though it cannot be confirmed,
historians suspect that Josquin was originally from Hainut in present-day Belgium. During
the early parts of his career, Josquin spent time in Italy, serving the Sforza family, rulers of
Milan, and working in the Sistine Chapel. Josquin spent much of the later parts of his career
in France, though when exactly he traveled there is unclear. During this time, Josquin may
have worked in Cambrai or been employed at the court of King Louis XII of France.
In 1503, Josquin was appointed as the maestro di capella in Ferrara, but, soon after,
there was an outbreak of the plague. From there, Josquin moved to work as the provost of
the collegiate church of Notre Dame in Condé-sur-l’Escaut. He remained there from 1504
until his death in 1521. Josquin enjoyed a long career, and his works continued to be
prominent after his death. His travels throughout his life allowed him to hear and take part
in musical traditions from all of the major musical centers in Europe.
In addition to the mystery surrounding Josquin’s life, there is a great deal of mystery
surrounding his works. For one, copyists and publishers may have accidentally attributed
certain works to Josquin when works by different composers had the same text.1 Other
works also may have been attributed to Josquin in an attempt to increase their commercial
value. For example, Josquin was supposedly Martin Luther’s favorite composer, and some
believe that some works written by less famous composers were attributed to Josquin in
1 Myroslaw Antonowycz, “Criteria for the Determination of Authenticity. A
Contribution to the Study of Melodic Style in the Works of Josquin,” Tijdschrift van de
Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis 28, no. 2 (1978): 51. Accessed November
22, 2015, doi: 10.2307/939040.

26. order to cater to the new Lutheran church.2 The many locations in which he worked and
resided, in addition to the popularity of the name “Josquin” during his lifetime, make it
difficult to pinpoint exactly how many works attributed to him were actually composed by
him. Many of the works originally attributed to Josquin have since proven to be inauthentic,
but Josquin most likely did compose about 18 masses, over 50 motets, and 65 chansons3. In
the works that have been attributed to him, Josquin de Prez uses form, voicing, and an
international style to convey specific images, moods, and emotions, resulting in his status
as one of the most prolific composers of the Renaissance era.
Josquin uses the form of his pieces in order to highlight the text of his works,
emphasizing important words and the form and rhyme scheme of the poetry. One example
of this occurs in Josquin’s “Nimphes nappés.” This piece, written for six voices, mourns the
death of a loved one. In “Nimphes nappés,” Josquin uses rests or long, held-out notes to
emulate the natural rests that would occur in speaking the text, so that the opening phrase
of almost every line within the piece features a rest or a long note to mark the caesura.4 For
example, in the opening phrase of “Nimphes nappés,” Josquin places a rest where there is a
comma in the text of the poetry, after the words “nimphes nappés,” meaning “nymphs of
2 Leeman L. Perkins, "Josquin's 'Qui Habitat' and the Psalm Motets," Journal of
Musicology 26, no. 4 (Fall 2009): 513, accessed November 21, 2015, doi:
doi:10.1525/jm.2009.26.4.512.
3 J. Peter Burkholder, Donald Jay Grout, and Claude V. Palisca, A History of Western
Music, 9th ed. (New York, NY: Norton, 2014), 201.
4 Patrick Macey, "An Expressive Detail in Josquin's Nimphes, nappés," Early
Music 31, no. 3 (August 2003): 408, accessed November 21, 2015,
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.miamioh.edu/subscriber/article/grove/mus
ic/14497.

27. woodland.”5 Placing a rest where the comma lies within the text reinforces the intended
pattern of speech and emphasizes the final words of phrases, the same way pauses do in
spoken poetry. It also calls greater attention to the syntax and rhyme of the poetry, and,
therefore makes the text more expressive and easier for the listener to comprehend.
Josquin commonly used this technique in his five voice chansons. Somewhat like using rest
length to emphasize the text, Josquin expressively used note length to convey ideas. His use
of this technique is evident in “El grillo,” a somewhat comic and fun song that perhaps was
used for a feast or celebration6. In this piece, Josquin utilizes long notes on the text meaning
“the cricket is a good singer who holds a long note,” and then uses short notes on the text
meaning “the cricket sings short notes.”7
Another technique Josquin often used to emphasize poetic form was to highlight
rhyme scheme by repeating musical motives on rhyming lines in the text. One example of
this occurs in his five voice chanson “Plusieurs regretz.” “Plusieurs regretz” is a lament,
describing the speaker’s broken spirit and sorrows that are unmatched by other men and
women in this world. The text of this chanson follows an AABBAA rhyme scheme. It
contains two sets of rhyming lines, followed by one line that is repeated for emphasis, in
this case, translating to “my spirits don’t know how to go on.” Josquin composed this piece
with a form that in many ways mirrors the rhyme scheme of the poetry. Josquin composed
the first two lines in AABB form to correspond with the rhyme scheme of the poetry. For
5 Macey, "An Expressive Detail in Josquin's," 401.
6 Marianne Hund, “Fresh Light on Josquin Descanio’s Enigmatic “El Grillo,”
Tijdschrift van de Koninklijke Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis 56 no. 1
(2006): 10, Accessed November 22, 2015, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20203933.
7 Ibid., 11.

28. the final couplet with the repeated line however, Josquin introduces new material for the
ending of the piece, resulting in an AABBCC form.8 Emphasizing poetic form through
musical form ensures that the music is expressive of the original form of the text, and may
help emphasize specific words that set the mood of the piece according to the text.
Josquin also uses form to emphasize the text in his Latin motet “Ave Maria…Virgo
Serena.” The text of the piece begins with a couplet hailing Mary. The five stanzas that
follow discuss the five major feasts of Mary: her Immaculate Conception, her Nativity, the
Annunciation, the Purification, and the Assumption. The motet ends with a short prayer in
which the speaker asks Mary to remember him. In “Ave Maria…Virgo Serena,” Josquin
bases the musical form of the piece around the form of the text he set it to. For each couplet
or strophe, Josquin uses a different musical treatment to delineate a new section. He ends
each section with a cadence on C to unite all the different parts of the work.9 The cadence at
the end of each section gives the listener a feeling of closure and clearly delineates when
one section of the piece is ending and the next will begin, even though there are not pauses
or rests between sections.
Besides his expressive use of form in his piece, Josquin often employs symbolic
voicing to achieve a heightened dramatic effect. Several examples of this occur in Josquin’s
“Missa de Beata Virgine,” a mass presumably from a later period of Josquin’s life. The mass
material is based on a wide variety of chant sources, and there remains uncertainty about
8 Macey, "An Expressive Detail in Josquin's," 406.
9 Josquin Desprez, "Ave Maria...virgo serena," in Ancient to Baroque, ed. J. Peter
Burkholder, 7th ed., vol. 1, Norton Anthology of Western Music (New York, NY: Norton,
2014), 1: 242.

29. how the Mass became one unified work10. One particularly striking example of expressive
voicing within the mass occurs during the Credo. During this movement, the fifth voice
begins as a duplication of the tenor voice in strict canon. The text states, “la premier va
devant,” meaning, “the first shall be last,” and the music reflects this, with the tenor voice
coming in first and the fifth voice coming in two bars later, a fifth below in pitch. Next, the
text states, “la devant va derriere,” or, “the last shall be first.” Josquin expresses this with
the lower, duplicated voice now taking the lead, and the tenor line following two bars
behind.11 Raiskums explains another example of text expression through voicing in the
Credo of “Missa di Beata Virgine:” on “t ‘et resurrexist tertia die,’ the words ‘tertia die’ are
given out in a sudden flight of triplets in the superius…[then] at ‘qui cum Patre et
Filio,’…the superius breaks into a slow passage of triplets set high over the other voices.12
Josquin’s use of triplets in the highest voice allude to the holy trinity. The three gods of the
holy trinity are represented by the triplets, and the high placement in the voicing
represents their almighty power or possibly their place in heaven.
Josquin’s “Qui Habitat,” a psalm motet, also contains examples of strategic voice
leading for dramatic effect. The piece opens with four voices entering every two breves
from the superius and downward, each on the same note. The melodic line in each voice
rises, so that the high pitches mimic the text which translates to “the aid of the most high.”
He emphasizes this particularly in the superius, with an octave leap on the word “altissimi”
10 Andrew Raiskums, "Plainsong as Pre-Composition: Josquin's Miss de Beata
Virgine," Context, 2005, 59, accessed November 21, 2015,
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1466469?accountid=12434.
11 Ibid., 61.
12 Ibid.

30. or, in English, “most high.”13 The opening of a later verse appears to be derived from this
initial opening phrase. This serves to anticipate the return of the material from the opening
which Josquin returns to in closing the piece. In another example within “Qui Habitat,” the
text reads “dicet domino, susceptor meus es tu,” translating to “he will say to the Lord, thou
art my protection.” Josquin pairs these lines together, first in the bassus voice. Each voice
imitates this with a similar melody, but different starting pitches. The lines work fit
together polyphonically, until finally, all voices come together in homorhythm to declare
that the Lord is their protection.14
Josquin also uses this technique in “Ave Maria…Virgo Serena.” The piece is
polyphonic until all voices unite in homorhythm on the line “full of solemn jubilation.” The
sudden homophony is extremely striking to the listener after several polyphonic verses.
Josquin uses the sudden fullness of all four voices in homophony to suggest the solemnity
the text refers to.15 Josquin again utilizes a similar technique in the Credo of his “Missa
Pange Lingua,” a mass from the late period of his life. At “et incarnates est,” meaning, “he
was made incarnate by the Holy Spirit out of the Virgin Mary and was made man,” the
voices proclaim together in block chords, and the top voice paraphrases the first line of the
hymn.16 “Et incarnates est” is an important declaration at the basis of the Catholic faith, and
13 Leeman, “Josquin’s ‘Qui Habitat,” 532.
14 Ibid.
15 Desprez, "Ave Maria...virgo serena," in Ancient to Baroque, 1: 242.
16 Josquin Desprez, "Missa Pange lingua: Kyrie and part of Credo," in Ancient to
Baroque, ed. J. Peter Burkholder, 7th ed., vol. 1, Norton Anthology of Western Music (New
York, NY: Norton, 2014), 1: 251.

31. putting these words in homophony ensures that all the listeners will hear and understand
the text at that moment.
Josquin also employs the stylistic techniques of different genres from across the
musical centers of Europe. He then incorporates them into his own international style to
convey a specific mood or idea. One example of this is the previously discussed piece
“Nimphes nappés.” The French secular text of this polyphonic work makes it a chanson.
However, this piece can also be considered part chanson, part Latin motet. The cantus
firmus around which the work is based is a sacred Latin text comes from the Invitatory that
opens the Office of Matins for the Dead, and the text of this cantus firmus comes from Psalm
116. In the original lament, four voices sang the secular text while two other voices sang
the Latin cantus firmus in canon at a fifth, creating a hybrid effect between chanson and
motet.17
Another example occurs in Josquin’s “Ava Maria…Virgo Serena.” In the piece, when
the first stanza of the hymm begins, the piece shifts from a polyphonic texture to a
homophonic texture. The first line, announcing Mary’s divine conception of Jesus is
presented twice, first in parallel sixths, and then in parallel 6/3 sonorities. The harmonic
structure of this line alludes to the French fauxbourdon style that was considered old
fashioned during Josquin’s time. Josquin may have incorporated the fauxboudon to
emphasize the sacred announcement, giving the impression of a formal and dignified
mood.18
17 Macey, "An Expressive Detail in Josquin's," 406.
18 Desprez, "Ave Maria...virgo serena," in Ancient to Baroque, 1: 242.

32. Josquin’s use of form, voicing, and his international style for expressing moods,
symbols, and ideas made him one of the most prolific composers of his time. During
Josquin’s time, some complicated polyphonic works obscured the meaning of the text, but
Josquin attempted to use polyphony to instead enhance the text. The techniques he used in
composing combined ideas old and the new. His emphasis on expressing the mood of a
work harkens back to Ancient Greek ideas of harmonia, which is not surprising considering
the resurgence of Greek ideas of humanism during the Renaissance era. Though Josquin’s
expressive stylistic techniques were not all new innovative ideas, due to the number of
compositions attributed to him and his apparent popularity during the Renaissance, it
seems that he may have contributed to the popularity of this style during his lifetime.
Josquin paved the way for composers like Palestrina, who continued the tradition of
expressive polyphonic settings that emphasize the text throughout the Renaissance era.

33. Bibliography
Antonowycz, Myroslaw. 1978. “Criteria for the Determination of Authenticity. A
Contribution to the Study of Melodic Style in the Works of Josquin”.Tijdschrift Van
De Vereniging Voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis 28 (2). Koninklijke Vereniging
voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis: 51–60 Accessed November 22, 2015.
doi:10.2307/939040.
Burkholder, J. Peter, Donald Jay Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. 9th
ed. New York, NY: Norton, 2014.
Desprez, Josquin. "Ave Maria...virgo serena." In Ancient to Baroque, edited by J. Peter
Burkholder and Claude V. Palisca, 234-42. 7th ed. Vol. 1 of Norton Anthology of
Western Music. New York, NY: Norton, 2014.
Desprez, Josquin. "Missa Pange lingua: Kyrie and part of Credo." In Ancient to Baroque,
edited by J. Peter Burkholder and Claude V. Palisca, 243-51. 7th ed. Vol. 1 of Norton
Anthology of Western Music. New York, NY: Norton, 2014.
Hund, Marianne. 2006. “Fresh Light on Josquin Dascanio's Enigmatic "el Grillo"”. Tijdschrift
Van De Koninklijke Vereniging Voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis 56 (1).
Koninklijke Vereniging voor Nederlandse Muziekgeschiedenis: 5–16. Accessed
November 22, 2015. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20203933.
Long, Michael. 1989. “Symbol and Ritual in Josquin's "Missa Di Dadi.” Journal of the
American Musicological Society 42 (1). University of California Press: 1–22. Accessed
November 21, 2015. doi:10.2307/831416.
Macey, Patrick. 2003. “An Expressive Detail in Josquin's "nimphes, Nappés.” Early Music 31
(3). Oxford University Press: 401–11. Accessed November 21, 2015.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3138102.
Macey, Patrick. et al. "Josquin des Prez." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford
University Press. Accessed November 19, 2015.
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy.lib.miamioh.edu/subscriber/article/gro
ve/music/14497.
Perkins, Leeman L. "Josquin's "Qui Habitat" and the Psalm Motets." Journal of Musicology - A
Quarterly Review of Music History, Criticism, Analysis, and Performance Practice 26,
no. 4. (2009): 512-565. doi:10.1525/jm.2009.26.4.512.
Raiskums, Andrew. "Plainsong as Pre-Composition: Josquin's "Missa De Beata Virgine"."
Context (2005): 59-67. Accessed November 21, 2015.
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1466469?accountid=12434.

34. The Effects of Physical Education on Childhood Obesity
Holly Meyer
Childhood obesity is a community health problem affecting growing numbers of children
and adolescents in the United States. Today’s youth have taken up a more sedentary lifestyle and
many lack the daily physical activity recommended by health professionals. In the past thirty years
alone, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children, and quadrupled in adolescents. As of
2012, more than one third of children were considered to be overweight or obese (“Obesity
Prevention”). Given that 80% of obese children aged 10-13 will grow up to be obese adults (Bryan),
preventing and combating childhood obesity is crucial to decreasing levels of adult obesity. Obesity
in adulthood is accompanied by a number of health problems, including type 2 diabetes,
cardiovascular problems, sleep apnea, and bone and joint problems (McKenzie 165). As childhood
obesity grows in prevalence, the need for early intervention becomes more apparent. Stopping
childhood obesity means raising children to become healthy adults, reducing their risk for weight-
related health issues and increasing life expectancy.
A child’s weight may be affected by a variety of factors, including genetics, lifestyle choices,
and the environment in which a child is raised. Health professionals can use education and
intervention programs to combat childhood obesity by creating a healthier environment and
encouraging positive lifestyle changes. Many successful obesity prevention programs take place in
schools, considering the long hours children spend there each day. One way that health
professionals attempt to combat childhood obesity is by assessing students’ weight and informing
their parents if the child is considered overweight or obese. Health professionals assess and
categorize a child’s weight using their Body Mass Index, or BMI for short. BMI is calculated by
taking into account weight and height, and, for children and teens, their age and sex. A child’s BMI
may fall into the category of underweight, normal/healthy, overweight, or obese. Though BMI does
not measure amount of body fat directly, a high BMI is often an indicator of a high level of body fat.
For children and teens, BMI percentile is used to screen for weight related health problems that
may occur later in life (Obesity Prevention).
Although calculating and tracking a child’s BMI percentile is a good first step, awareness
alone will not help the child, parent, or community unless they know how to solve the problem. For
this reason, many schools have adopted programs to improve the children’s diets and educate them
about nutrition. Schools put in place new policies that regulate the food and drinks in the cafeteria
and even in the vending machines around school to provide healthier options for the students who
go there (McKenzie 165). Providing students with healthy food options at school, combined with
education about nutrition for their futures, will help some children lower their BMI and provide
them with healthy eating habits to continue into adulthood.
Physical education and exercise are two particularly valuable components to fighting
childhood obesity. Although experts recommend that adolescents get 60 minutes of exercise per
day, the physical inactivity students experience sitting at a desk during school hours may encourage
this lifestyle outside of school as well. Incorporating daily physical education into schools could be a
solution to increasing students’ daily exercise time and reducing the prevalence of childhood
obesity. In one study, a middle school required 30 minutes of daily PE class for one year. Students
were assessed based on BMI percentile, a mile run, curls, and push-ups. After a year, the study
compared the BMI percentile and fitness levels of students from this school with a control group, a
middle school that did not implement 30 minutes of PE each day. Positive results were noted:
students who took part in the daily PE class showed significant improvement in physical fitness,
including the mile run, curls, and push-ups. However, there was only a small improvement of BMI
percentile, and it was most noticeable in girls. Although the BMI percentile did not change much,
the results are still significant because physical fitness has been known to reduce the negative
weight-related health problems. Other limitations to consider when thinking about this study

35. include the lack of control over what activities comprised the 30 minutes of PE. Those conducting
the study did not track the activities the PE teacher asked the students to take part in, students’
attendance, or the number of minutes spent performing moderate to vigorous exercise. Despite
these limitations, 30 minutes of PE yielded more positive improvements than the control group
(Erfle).
Students’ health could greatly benefit from incorporating 30 minutes of PE per day,
especially if the PE teacher is held to a standard of excellence and the curriculum is developed to
reach a large number of students, two pieces that were missing from the previously mentioned
study. Communication between the PE teacher, his students, and their parents is key to developing
physical education that goes beyond the time in the classroom and combats childhood obesity. For
example, students’ fitness exam scores that are typically ignored could be taken seriously and used
as a learning opportunity for parents and students. If students fail a PE exam, the teacher could
follow up with the student and parents about why they may have failed, the importance of physical
fitness to health, and ways to continue to work toward physical fitness at home. The PE teacher
could also collaborate with the school nurse to teach the whole school about healthy amounts of
exercise, a nutritious diet, and how to incorporate exercise into your life in small ways, like taking
walks or always taking the stairs instead of an elevator (Bryan).
Another way daily PE could be improved is by incorporating a variety of activities that
appeal to students of diverse ages, abilities, and interests. One successful example of this occurred
in a study by Cadzow of students’ BMI over the course of three years. The PE program was
drastically improved before the study with the purchase of new equipment including bikes, dance
pads, cardio equipment, and even a traverse-climbing wall. The new equipment emphasized less
competition between students in PE, and more emphasis on individual health. The equipment was
incorporated into gym classes and available for use during after school time as well. The
intervention was a great success, and there was a significant decrease in BMI percentile and
overweight or obese students. This particular study cannot be used to represent the effects of PE
alone, because the school also implemented health education curriculum and replaced high sugar
and carb foods with healthier food options. Additionally, this kind of upgrade to a PE program
would be quite expensive and is not realistic for all schools to achieve. However, ideas of
incorporating non-competitive, varied activities are important to reaching the students most at risk
for weight related health problems, because these students may find more enjoyment and build
confidence when they are not in competition with one another.
Another way schools can go beyond the traditional PE classroom to promote health and
fitness is called a school-wide approach to physical education. A school-wide approach encourages
teachers of non-PE subjects to incorporate movement into their classrooms, or putting on school-
wide programs that encourage all students to be active (Bryan). For example, science teachers can
take their students on a walk outside during a unit about plants or geology. Music class can
incorporate dance or guided movement. English teachers could create scavenger hunts with
academic clues that get the kids moving around the classroom or building. The school could have an
annual walk or athletic tournament that involves all the students. All of these activities keep
students from remaining sedentary throughout the day even if they may not be extremely
physically taxing.
Overall, I believe that physical education could be an effective aid in decreasing the
prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States. PE is most effective when students have it
often, or daily as in Erfle’s study. PE teachers should communicate effectively with students and
parents about health goals and how to achieve them. PE teachers should strive for a good variety of
non-competitive activities and equipment if possible. Though PE can help children build a healthy
lifestyle, PE alone cannot end childhood obesity. Students and their parents must also dedicate
themselves to exercising outside of school, and a nutritious diet paired with the exercise is crucial
to weight loss. Childhood obesity is a community health issue because it will take a community

36. wide lifestyle change for childhood obesity to end. The community must support health education
in schools, as well as making community wide changes to pursue a more active lifestyle paired with
a more nutritious diet.

37. Works Cited
Bryan, Charity, Lisa Broussard, and David Bellar. “Effective Partnerships: How School Nurses and
Physical Education Teachers Can Combat Childhood Obesity.” NASN School Nurse 28.1
(2013): 20-23. Web. 12 Jan 2016.
Cadzow, Renee B., Meghan K. Chambers, and Angela M. D. Sandell. “School-Based Obesity
Intervention Associated with Three Year Decrease in Student Weight Status in a Low-
Income School District.” Journal of Community Health: The Publication for Health Promotion
and Disease Prevention 40.4 (2015): 709-713. Web. 12 Jan 2016.
Erfle, Stephen E., and Abigail Gamble. "Effects of Daily Physical Education on Physical Fitness and
Weight Status in Middle School Adolescents." Journal of School Health 85.1 (2015): 27-35.
Web. 12 Jan 2016.
McKenzie, James F., and Robert R. Pinger. An Introduction to Community & Public Health. 8th ed.
Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2015. Print.
"Obesity Prevention." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. U.S. Department of Health &
Human Services, 27 Aug. 2015. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.