Jacksonville Review – September 2025

I WAS DELIGHTED when my friend Mimi invited me to lead a new song circle in the Ruch/Applegate area: consisting of Medieval, Renaissance, early Baroque, world and traditional song repertoire, in the form of rounds.

Turns out that even before the time of Shakespeare, folks were singing proto-rounds, (e.g., “Sumer is Icumen In”) and by the 16th century, this form of song was in full swing. People were so into rounds during the Renaissance that they had several varieties: rounds, canon and catches.

You know rounds, as in “Row, row, row your boat,” “Frere Jacques,” etc.

A canon is a song that uses similar techniques but is not restricted to exact imitation.

In a catch, the completed round reveals text that is only heard when all parts are sung. These naughty or funny messages occur sequentially across the parts.

The round was a serious musical form written by many famous composers of vocal music at the time. Thomas Ravenscroft, in particular, specialized in round and filled several books with his extensive collections. The music stands the test of time because of its exquisite beauty, on par with madrigals, and part songs of that period.

Our singing circle would like to invite new members. It meets every two weeks, on alternate Wednesday afternoons, 2:30-4pm, in a private home.

The cost is by donation and can be adjusted to fit anyone’s pocketbook. For more information, please email to applegatesongcircle@gmail.com.

Pat O’Scannell worked with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for 30 years, directing the Early Music program for the Green Shows and the Terra Nova Consort—her ensemble that toured and made over 15 recordings. She lives in Ashland, where she runs Musica Matrix, a nonprofit that supports historically informed performances of ancient music.