Da Capo Aria - (an early use of 'from the top') an aria in 3 sections. The middle section is usually contrasting in mood and thematic content and the last section is a repeat of the first up to the point marked. Much favoured by Baroque composers -second half of 17th cent to about 1750 particularly Handel. Good examples - well, lots but 'Where'er You Walk ' is one of the best known

Decani - the side of a double choir in English cathedrals or churches that sit on the south side of the chancel near the Dean's seat (stall). The Cantoris is on the opposite side (- think we forgot to mention them before, sorry)

Deceptive cadence - (or ‘Trugschluss’ in German) the American term for an 'interrupted cadence' - end of a phrase or section that doesn't finish where you might expect it to...

Descant - originally a melody added above an existing melody (so in this sense 'counterpoint). Now it’s mostly a higher line that a composer adds to a well known tune - a good example is David Willcocks' one for "Sing , Choirs of Angels in the carol "O Come All Ye Faithful’. (like the 'Fauxbourdon' in organ music)

Diva - a pity this has come to mean something rather different and less than flattering sometimes. Originally it just meant a leading lady or celebrated female singer (as does 'prima donna') but the fact that it was the Italian word for ‘goddess’ does give us an idea of the status attributed in the 19th century to these ladies and maybe some of them did let it go to their heads...

Devisenarie - apparently a bit of a minefield for the aspiring musicologist when it comes to some of Bach's arias. 'Motto Aria' or 'Devisenarie' - we won't even go there... but if you're curious there's more information here to help.

Diapente - old name (Greek) for the interval '5th'. In early music, answering canons at the fifth above were called 'epidiapente' and at fifth lower were called 'subdiapente'. ('Canon to the the right of them, canon to the left of them...'  sorry!)

Diatonic - the least complicated description is of music that in a major key has no additional accidentals (sharps or flats) other than the key signature - but after that it gets very complicated !

Diction - Eric Blom once described this as ' the popular but inaccurate term for enunciation of the words in singing'. What more can we say...? "He or she has very clear enunciation?" sounds a bit affected these days though, doesn’t it?

Dièse - the French musical term for what the English call a 'sharp' (#)

Dirge - often misapplied to something musical that doesn't appeal to us much but properly, it's a piece of music - mostly vocal - to be performed at burials. (from 'Dirige Dominum ')

Discord - generally taken to be two notes played together (an interval) giving a sound that isn't considered very pleasing to the ear. Nowadays, discord is more commonly described as 'dissonance' but that still suggests something that doesn't sound very good. That's a pity, because in the right hands, 'dissonances' can lead to something amazing. (- just listen to Mozart's quartet no 19 !) (dissonant intervals are said to be: 2nd, 4th and 7th whereas consonant intervals are 3rds, 5ths,6ths and octaves)

Do  - another name for C in some countries

Doh - the Tonic note (first one in the scale) in any major key in the Tonic sol-fa system (see our article on Curwen's work and the 'moveable doh)

Dominant - 5th note of the scale above the keynote.

Dorian mode - begin on D and play the white notes up the scale and that's it.

Doublé - French musical term for the musical ornament called a 'turn'

Duet - well 'two's company' they say and there are some marvellous operatic examples...

Durchcomponiert - translated from German as 'through composed' where a song does not have repeated verses. (i.e. not strophic). Even if there are stanzas in the poem, the music for each one is not the same

Dynamics - general term just to describe how loud and soft the music should be throughout a piece of music.