Spring 2026 Course Search

Composers throughout the ages have cut their teeth on the study of counterpoint – the intricate practice of writing melodies for several voices sounding at once. In this course, we’ll look mainly at 16th-century composers of counterpoint, and sing through pieces from Palestrina to Weelkes, while learning to compose in a variety of practices such as canons, the motet, and familiar style. We’ll gradually work our way from two-voice to four-voice counterpoint, and set texts in a variety of harmonic styles.

This is a laboratory for making a mini dance project that can be developed within the short time frame of 3 weeks, right at the start of the term. Students will be working with others in the class to make, teach, and rehearse selections of movement material, culminating in a project that may be shown in Dance Workshop. This is an opportunity for working with instincts, for finding quick solutions and perhaps creating a base for future work.