Vocal music is music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music (e.g. the wordless women's choir in the final movement of Holst's The Planets). Music without any instrumental accompaniment is often referred to as a cappella.
The interest in vocal music is typically carried by the use of lyrics, although there are some notable examples of vocal music that are performed (in part or completely) using non-linguistic syllables or noises, either in imitation of other sounds or in the abstract. A short piece of vocal music with lyrics is broadly termed a song.
Vocal music is probably the oldest form of music, since it does not require any other instruments other than the human voice. All musical cultures have some form of vocal music. Language and music employ the same basic material, though they differ in primary purpose.
Vokalmusik | Vokalmusik | 성악 | Vokalinė muzika | Vocale muziek | 声楽 | Вокальная музыка | Vokalmusik | 聲樂
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