What exactly is Early Music and how should the 21st century singer understand and approach this body of repertoire? A great majority of European music written before 1750 is for voices. It includes music for groups of voices and solo voices, with and without instruments, music for the church and the theater, for the court and the chamber, as well as music in different languages and with different national styles. A wealth of materials exist to help us discover not only what the specific compositions are, but also how they might have been performed when they were first heard. Since the 1980's and the explosion of interest in early music and historical performance practice, performances of music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods now reflect a wide variety of styles and approaches. In So You Want to Sing Early Music, Martha Elliott will introduce this remarkably rich and varied repertoire within a historical context, and present information for the 21st century singer who wants to know where to start exploring. Focusing primarily on the 17th and early 18th centuries, the book will offer specific information about style and ornamentation, working with vocal and instrumental colleagues, reading manuscripts and edited editions of scores, and technical wisdom from some of the original sources of vocal pedagogy. It will share advice for how to handle the different kinds of early music performance situations in which singers might find themselves, as well as where to find workshops and performance opportunities. Equally helpful to the classically trained solo singer or amateur choral singer, So You Want to Sing Early Music will allow them to broaden their repertoire and build their stylistic toolbox. This book is aimed primarily at intermediate or advanced classically trained solo singers, but it could also be helpful to amateur choral singers, or beginning level singers who want to learn more about this body of music. It could also be helpful to voice teachers and coaches who want to be more informed when helping their students with technique and style. It would also be helpful to instrumentalists, primarily keyboard players, and conductors who may be working with singers on this repertoire.