Dictionary of Music - Birding America

18 avant-gardeavant-garde (A väN gArd′) French: “in the forefront.”Describing music whose techniques differmarkedly from tradition or accepted conventions ofthe time. Also a synonym for free jazz (see underJAZZ).Ave Maria (ä′vā mə rē′ə) Latin: “Hail Mary.”1 A prayer of the Roman Catholic Church, whichhas often been set to music. 2 A setting of this textnot intended primarily for church use, such as thesetting by Gounod using Prelude no. 1 in C majorfrom Bach’s Das wohltemperierte Clavier (“TheWell-Tempered Clavier”) to serve as the harmonyfor Gounod’s own melody. Another example isSchubert’s setting of a song from Sir Walter Scott’snovel, Lady of the Lake.ayre (âr). 1 Also, air. A type of song popular inEngland during the late sixteenth and early seventeenthcenturies. The ayre is similar in form to theFrench AIR DE COUR. Like the air de cour, the ayre is asolo song accompanied by lute, theorbo (bass lute), orsome other instrument, and sometimes also by a bassviol; occasionally it is accompanied also by two othersingers. The best-known composer of ayres was JohnDOWLAND. 2 Another spelling of AIR, def. 3.