Carol (music)

A carol is in modern parlance a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character.

Today the carol is represented almost exclusively by the Christmas carol, the Advent carol, and to a much lesser extent by the Easter carol; however, despite their present association with religion, this has not always been the case.

History

The word carol is derived from the Old French word carole, a circle dance accompanied by singers (in turn derived from the Latin choraula). Carols were very popular as dance songs from the 1150s to the 1350s, after which their use expanded as processional songs sung during festivals, while others were written to accompany religious mystery plays (such as the Coventry Carol, written before 1534).

Following the Protestant Reformation (and the banning of many religious festivities during the British Puritan Interregnum), carols went into a decline due to Calvinist aversion to "nonessential" things associated with Roman Catholicism. However, composers such as William Byrd composed motet-like works for Christmas that they termed carols; and folk-carols continued to be sung in rural areas. Nonetheless, some famous carols were written in this period, and they were more strongly revived from the nineteenth century and began to be written and adapted by eminent composers.

List of Seinfeld minor characters

The television show Seinfeld featured many minor characters.

Secondary characters

Character frequency

Other characters appearing in 5 or more episodes

Carol (soundtrack)

Carol: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 2015 film of the same name. The soundtrack includes the original score, composed, produced, orchestrated and conducted by Carter Burwell, and additional music performed by The Clovers, Billie Holiday, Georgia Gibbs, Les Paul and Mary Ford, and Jo Stafford. It was released in both digital download and physical formats on November 20, 2015, by Varèse Sarabande.

Development

Burwell had received the script of Carol before Todd began the principal photography. Additionally, Todd sent CDs carrying music in the 1950s America that he and Randy Poster had compiled. However, the film having visual language, Burwell didn't begin writing for the score until Todd shot and assembled the film. Initially, Burwell thought to have two solo instruments, as there were only two characters, and everyone else just passes through. Burwell began recording with the track titled "Opening". He stated that composing such a piece first was an odd choice because none of the main characters appear in that scene. However, he felt it was important that whatever he did would bring the feeling of the film and the unseen characters. Burwell also wrote several different ideas for that and sent them to Todd.

Music

Music is an art form and cultural activity whose medium is sound and silence. The common elements of music are pitch (which governs melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics (loudness and softness), and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture (which are sometimes termed the "color" of a musical sound). Different styles or types of music may emphasize, de-emphasize or omit some of these elements. Music is performed with a vast range of instruments and with vocal techniques ranging from singing to rapping, and there are solely instrumental pieces, solely vocal pieces and pieces that combine singing and instruments. The word derives from Greek μουσική (mousike; "art of the Muses"). In its most general form, the activities describing music as an art form include the production of works of music (songs, tunes, symphonies, and so on), the criticism of music, the study of the history of music, and the aesthetic examination of music. Ancient Greek and Indian philosophers defined music as tones ordered horizontally as melodies and vertically as harmonies. Common sayings such as "the harmony of the spheres" and "it is music to my ears" point to the notion that music is often ordered and pleasant to listen to. However, 20th-century composer John Cage thought that any sound can be music, saying, for example, "There is no noise, only sound."

Music in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel

The use of music was a key component in the fictional Buffyverse established by the TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Many of actors of both series are gifted and professional singers/musicians (Anthony Head, James Marsters, Amber Benson, Andy Hallett and Christian Kane to just cite a few).

Themes

Buffy theme

The "Buffy theme" is the music played alongside the opening credits of the show. The theme itself has no lyrics; it begins with several notes played by an organ, a signifier for horror in movie culture from the 1930s onwards. This is quickly replaced by upbeat rock music; an electric guitar riff signifies youth culture and a post-modern twist on the horror genre.

The theme was played by the punk pop band Nerf Herder. In an interview they explain how they came to produce the theme:

In the DVD commentary for "Welcome to the Hellmouth," Whedon explained that part of his decision to go with Nerf Herder's theme was that Alyson Hannigan had made him listen to the band's music.

Music (Madonna album)

Music is the eighth studio album by American singer Madonna, released on September 18, 2000 by Maverick Records. Following the success of her previous album Ray of Light (1998), she intended to embark on a tour. However, her record company encouraged her to return to the studio and record new music before going on the road. Her collaboration with producers Mirwais Ahmadzaï and William Orbit resulted a more experimental direction for the album. Music has an overall dance-pop and electronica vibe, with influnces from rock, country and folk. The album was mostly recorded at Sarm West and East Studios in London, England. Elaborating country theme for the album, Madonna reinvented her image as a cowgirl.

Music received positive reviews from most critics and earned Madonna five Grammy Award nominations, ultimately winning one for Best Recording Package. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked it number 452 on the magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The record was also a commercial success, debuting at number one in over 23 countries across the world and selling four million copies in its first ten days of release. In the United States, Music debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first week sales of 420,000 units, making it her first album to top the chart in more than a decade since Like a Prayer (1989). It was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for three million units shipped in the United States and has sold over 15 million copies worldwide, becoming in one of the best-selling albums during the 2000s century.