Part songs (Topical Term)

New Grove, 2nd ed. WWW site, Oct. 12, 2001 (partsong)

Music index WWW site, Oct. 12, 2001 (part song)

RILM abstracts of music literature via FirstSearch, Oct. 12, 2001 (part song)

New Harvard dict. music (part song: 1. An unaccompanied secular choral work of relatively modest length; 2. Any unaccompanied secular vocal work)

Oxf. companion to music (part song)

Baker’s dict. of music (part song)

Web. 3 (part-song)

Amer. heritage dict., 3rd ed. (part song)

New Grove dict. of music online, Mar. 22, 2002: partsong (a piece of music in two or more voice-parts without independent accompaniment. In theory, the term encompasses forms such as the glee, madrigal and unaccompanied anthem; in practice, usually refers to small-scale secular pieces for unaccompanied choral singing; no precise definition is possible.)

Here are entered secular vocal chamber music works for solo voices or chorus, unaccompanied or with instruments, including collections and individual works in more than one language. Part songs in a single language are entered under the heading qualified by the language, e.g. Part songs, English.

Part songs composed in a specific form are entered under the form, e.g. Polyphonic chansons.