Catch
Comic canon of the English Renaissance.
What it means
A catch is a polyphonic canon from the English musical tradition, as a rule for male voices and without accompaniment. Everyone sings the same melody but enters one after another. Characteristic is the handling of the text: through the interlocking of the voices, new word sequences arise that are not present in the individual performance — often jocular, frequently ambiguous. The name refers to this catching up of the voices and the words.
Musical use
The genre was widespread from the sixteenth into the nineteenth century, at first in convivial gatherings, later in clubs founded specifically for it, for which numerous collections were printed. Musically, catches are plainly built, because they were meant to be sung without rehearsal: simple melodies, clear rhythm, ranges that are easy to sing. Their appeal lies not in compositional craft but in the punchline. In this they stand close to other convivial forms such as the glee but differ from it in the canon form. For music history they are testimony to a practice of everyday music-making.
Performance practice
Sing evenly and with rhythmic stability, for any displacement destroys the interlocking. Watch for clear pronunciation, because the effect depends on the text. Decide after how many rounds and at which point to end; canons do not end by themselves. Choose a key that is comfortable for everyone, since the singing is unaccompanied, and take care that the pitch does not sink. Keep the volume moderate so that the text stays intelligible.
Bear in mind that the effect hangs on the clarity of the entries: each voice must set its beginning clearly, otherwise the interlocking of the words blurs. Settle beforehand the order and the distance of the entries and practise them first without text on a single syllable. With several rounds, a rise in volume is worthwhile, which is then taken back at the ending. Check the texts of historical collections before performance, since some versions may cause offence today; a deliberate selection is part of the preparation.