What is the generic term for Allegri's Miserere-like music?
What is the word/adjective that could describe music pieces similar to Allegri's "Miserere" or Henry Ley's "A Prayer of King Henry VI"?
This music appears to be be sung a capella, with a four-voice choir. (The word I am looking for would be a substitute for gregorian in the sentence: "I really like [gregorian] music!")
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I'm aware of the terms church music or religious music, since mass seems too specific. No term restricting this to a cappella comes to mind and since your examples span some centuries, an epoch-denoting term like Gregorian is not appropriate.
Renaissance polyphony is a term often used for this, which neatly encompasses both the period and the form.
In describing the epoch, you would speak of Renaissance music. Describing the form you would speak of a motet, which implies music sung a capella or just with instruments doubling the human voices.
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