Sardinian songs are to be considered among the most extraordinary examples of polyphony in th Mediterranean - for their complexity, tonal richness and power of expression. Their peculiarity gives them a distinctively insular flavour, in the strict sense of the word, withot equal anywhere in the world.
Their origins are as ancient as the social function of bringing together and cementing ties within the community. The lonely lives of the shepherd-singers themselves lends support to the theory of a foundation in the sounds of nature. For months on end their only companions were the tunes that rang from far-off pastures and thus, it is reasonably supposed, they devloped the ability to reproduce and analyse them in the closest detail.

a

One crucial piece of evidence in support of this theory is the similarity between the vibrating timbre of the sheep's "baahs" and the characteristically guttural tone of the songs. The basic effect is transformed with time into a singular blend of melismes, rhythmic ensembles and emotive modulations.

"A Tenore" Songs

This type of song , also known as "sheperd's song", is unique to Sardinia. It is undoubtedly the most ancient of all those existing on the island, since it goes back to the 2nd-3rd millenium B.C. How exactly the "a tenore" (tenor) song came about, however, is uncertain, but the theory, already mentioned, of a source in the shepherds imitating the sounds around them gains wide approval: the mooing of the cattle, the bleating of the sheep and goats, the grunting of the wild boar, the rustling of the wind - all were expertly harmonised and and grafted on to a pretty piece of secular poetry. The guttural sound of the voices and the characteristic intonation of the songs give this millenial art an impressive, spell-binding quality. The "A Tenores" group, which has numerous nomenclatures depending on the region - "Cuncordu" (chord), "Cuntrattu", "Cunzertu", Cussertu", "Ussertu" (concert) - comprises four members: - Bass (Basciu, Bassu, Grossu) - Baritone (Contra) - Soft/Low Voice (Mesa Oghe, Mesa Boche, Tippiri o Trippi) - Voice (Boghe, Boche, Boci o Bozi). Of the four, the bass voice evinces best the distinctive features of Sardinian song. The low-pitched sound he produces is guttural, obtained, in other words, by the vibration of the part of the larynx above the vocal chords. The result is a scale of unspecific, though nonetheless harmonious notes which, within the ensemble, blend to create an extraordinary melody. The baritone also emits deep, guttural sounds but in a different way than the bass. The latter's task is to lay the foudation, allowing the former to hover around the fifth. The soft (literally, "half") voice, which is the highest, settles on the major third, but has a certain amount of freedom to move, thereby enhancing the chord produced. To "the Voice" is assigned the role of soloist (Sa Oghe). His intonation of the melody is vital to the development of the song, since the other voices are required to respond to him, usually with a rhythmic medley of monosyllables (Bom, Bim, Bam, Bo! - Bom, Bi, Ram, Bim, Bai! ...). As a rule, the texts of the songs are simply poetic compositions trancribed. Depending on where the "Tenores" come from or the rhythm they use, the song is dubbed, "a sa seria", "a passu torradu", " a ballu tundu", "a boche 'e notte", "a mutos"... Among the scores of "Tenore" groups existing in Sardinia, the best-known and appreciated remain: 1) The "Tenore of Bitti" quartet, with a less grating style than other choirs. The performers are faultless students of their inheritance, with exceptional vocal capabilities. 2) The choir of Neoneli. The first group were discovered by Frank Zappa and then invited to record a track on Peter Gabriel's "Real World"; the second , accompanied by the group "Elio and The Tense Stories" (Elio e le Storie Tese") have recorded several cds under the name of Neonelio. In the Summer of 2000 they collaborated with some of Italy's most celebrated artists, like F. Guccini, Ligabue and A. Branduardi in the re-introduction of the famous "barone sa tirrania".

Multi-Voice Choral Singing

DA direct descendant of the "A Tenores" style, multi-voice choral singing was born thanks to a noteable evolution of the Tenors' methods withy the introduction of Gregorian Chant into Sardinia by the Church. The chants belonging to the Christian liturgy, which initially were performed on a monotone (according to the schema of Gregorian), in time began to be interpreted by several voices, when the faithful, ushering in harmony, started to sing using notes more appropriate to their vocal range. Over the years, particular significance has come to be assumed by the singing confraternities, who, amongst other things, have created a collection of songs based on the Passion of Christ for Holy Week. One can conclude, therefore, that choral polyphony is the result of the fusion of "A Tenores" songs and liturgical chants. The natural development, over time, of this sort of song has led to the enrichment of the repertory, with the inclusion, not only of more specifically religious texts, but also of more tales relating to the ordinary lives of the people. Thanks to these attributes and the enormous number of pieces available, multi-voice choirs these days can be heard equally well at village festivals as in churches, where they are considered to add a touch of solemnity , especially during Holy Week, Christmas, at weddings and patronal feasts. As opposed to the "A Tenores" groups, multi-voice choirs have no limits regarding numbers; most today have between 15-30 members (men only). Aside from its collective composition, there are four sub-categories of singers within the group: - Prima - (First tenors) - Segunda - (Second tenors) - Contra - (Baritones) - Basciu - (Basses) Special attention is merited by the choirs of Gallura (the far north-eastern zone of Sardinia) and, more particularly, those of Tempio Pausania and Aggius (SS). There are two special characteristics of these groups' singing, called "A Tasgia"): First, the integration of a very high voice, two octaves (15th) above the level of the basses; second, the freedom of each member of the choir to move within the chord, leaving room for personal expression and improvisation (more or less as happens in jazz).

Monodical Songs

To finish, there is the rich panorama of the monodic song. Unlike the other vintage varieties, these differ in the fact that they are entirely unaccompanied. Among the most celebrated are : - "S'Anninnia" (Ninna Nanna), lullabies intended to send children to sleep; - "Duru Duru", an Arabic term meaning "to turn". These songs are no more than nursery rhymes sung by adults for their child's entertainment. During their performance, the children are made to dance on the singer's knees. - "S'attitidu", a funeral hymn. Now defunct, it used to be entrusted exclusively to a female voice, the "Attidatora" (mourner), who would weave together prayers with an account of the life of the deceased using improvised verses of poetry; As far as the meter for these compositions is concerned, the octosyllable was adopted, with verses in doublets or triplets. Seven or six-syllable meters were also often employed , in rhyming couplets or in quatrains.