The “Cantigas de Santa Maria” is one of the most significant collections of Medieval
secular music, and was compiled during the reign of Alfonso el Sabio, the thirteenth
century King of Castile and León. More than 400 songs composed in honor of the Virgin
Mary are preserved in four beautifully illuminated manuscripts.
In this assignment you will:
1. Consider different ways that modern musicians have performed the Cantigas,
2. Write a 4-6-page (not including bibliography) essay explaining your findings and
presenting possible explanations for the difference you find,
3. and Apply your knowledge of Medieval music and the original sources to inform and
support your arguments

Instructions
1. Use the UIUC library catalog to find a cantiga that has been recorded multiple times.
• Provide a citation for each recording according to the Chicago Manual of Style
“Footnote and Bibliography” format.
• http://libguides.depauw.edu/c.php?g=73436&p=472435
2. Listen to the recordings while noting similarities and differences.
• Some things to listen for: melody, harmony, timbre, rhythm, instrumentation, text
pronunciation, tempo, style, and structure.
• Listen to each recording multiple times to pick up on as many details as possible.
• Don’t limit yourself to surface level details, and always use specific language in your
analyses. This is not a place for general statements like “this recording sounds
happier than the others.” Always explain what you mean using precise terminology
(e.g., what, specifically, makes it sound happy?).
3. Find your cantiga in one or both of the facsimiles linked below, as well as on the
“Cantigas de Santa Maria for Singers” website.
• http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cantigas/
• http://www.cantigasdesantamaria.com/
• What musical features are communicated by the notation? What features are not
communicated by the notation? How do the performers on your recordings deal

with musical features that are present, and how do they deal with features that are
absent?
• Consider the choices they made on the respective recordings, and reflect on these
choices, especially in comparison to the other recordings you listened to.
• Consider the relationship between the recorded performances and the original
notation.
4. Supplement your research with additional readings on the performance practice of the
cantigas. You may use the links listed above as one source, but also find at least two
other sources (not including the course textbook) to add more depth to your project.
• The bibliographies for Oxford Music Online (i.e., Grove) articles are always a great
place to start, as they will point you toward further readings on the topic of the
entry.
5. In addition to your 4-6 pages of prose, include a bibliography of your sources. Include
all text sources, the facsimile, and each recording referenced. Format everything
according to the Chicago Manual of Style
• http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-1.html
6. All assignments must use Times New Roman font with 12-point text and 1” margins.
7. Submit in MS Word or Apple Pages format. Google Docs and Open Office are not
acceptable substitutes. Since part of the assignment involves the correct formatting of
text, simply exporting a .docx file from a Google Doc is likely to result in errors, which
will lower your grade.