Students in Music History 1 (Ancient — 1800) complete a unit on musical borrowing, studying how chants formed the basis for many different types of sacred music in the Medieval and Renaissance. In class, we trace the development of polyphonic styles using pieces that incorporate pre-existing music on some level. The culminating project of this unit is a choice between two options: (1) an essay outlining the use of the plainsong “Oculi mei” in Heinrich Isaac’s “Oculi laetare,” and (2) using a plainchant as inspiration for a piece in a more modern style. Out of 120 students who have completed the project, none have chosen the first option.

Some students chose to work in groups. Each student submitted a separate document reflecting on their use of chant and their role in the finished product. As the UNF School of Music trains students in several fields, including classical performance, jazz performance, music education, and music technology, many students chose to operate within their chosen fields. The following are some selected examples of finished products (all used with permission).

Jazz: Pianist Liston Gregory and Trumpeter Bit Risner took the Kyrie from the Mass for Christmas Day (located in the Norton Anthology), added jazz chords, and recorded it as a jazz waltz: (mp3)

Technology: Allison Alexander, Jonathan McRae, and Clement Petit used the Introit Justus ut Palma for a EDM song: (mp3)

Classical: Clarinetist Sean Hedengren used the popular Dies Irae melody to write an etude: (mp3) (score)

Mixed performance/technology students: Samantha Chaney, Alyssa Hillan, Marissa Naylor, and Bianca Velez turned Ubi Caritas into an 80s synthpop song with kazoos (titled “Ubi Kazooritas”): (mp3)