Hocket, Just Drink Some Water

The word hocket derives from the French for “hiccup”. In the thirteenth and fourteenth century, composers used hocket to give a disjunctive flavor to the music. Music containing hocket “passes” the melody from one voice to another. For example, the top line (since at this time they did not designate soprano, alto, etc.) would carry the melody for a few lines, then pause. During their pause, the middle line would play or sing a few notes where the melody left off. The top line would finish off the phrase. The hocket, used seldom in the sacred works of the 13th century, became well used in the fourteenth century within secular conductus, as well as motets. Hocket is a characteristic usually seen in fast pieces, especially instrumental works, even though instrumental pieces were less common than vocal pieces. The principal school is Notre Dame during “ars antiqua”, the period in the thirteenth century where the motet was developed.

(Nicholas Jones)