[Listening extract, audio available printed QP. Read questions below.] The extract is from a four-part chorale harmonisation by J.S. Bach. (a) Give the term...

(a) The correct answer is syllabic. [1]

Syllabic text setting is where each syllable of the text is sung to a single note. This is the predominant style of text setting in Bach's chorales, as it ensures that the words are clearly audible to the congregation. Syllabic setting contrasts with melismatic text setting, where a single syllable is stretched across multiple notes (as in operatic arias or Gregorian chant). A third type, neumatic, falls between the two, with small groups of 2-4 notes per syllable. In a chorale, the priority is textual clarity for congregational participation, making syllabic setting the natural and practical choice.

(b) Two features of Bach's chorale harmonisations characteristic of the Baroque style include any two from the following [2]:

• Clear major or minor tonality with functional harmony - Bach's chorales establish definite keys and use systematic chord progressions (tonic, dominant, subdominant relationships) that drive the music toward cadences
• Suspensions and passing notes that create controlled dissonance before resolving - these non-chord tones add expressive tension and release, enriching the harmonic texture while always resolving according to the rules of counterpoint
• Each phrase ends with a defined cadence - perfect, imperfect, or interrupted cadences mark the end of each line of text, giving the chorale a clear sectional structure
• The bass line has its own independent melodic interest - rather than simply supporting the harmony, Bach's bass lines move with their own melodic logic, often using scalic passages and leaps
• Chromatic passing notes for expressive colour - Bach enriches his harmonisations with chromatic notes that add emotional depth and harmonic richness
• Predominantly homophonic texture - all four parts move in similar rhythm, ensuring the text is projected clearly