ABSTRACT
The countries of Western Europe are predominantly Roman Catholic, a religion whose calendar of holidays, processions, and pilgrimages provides many occasions for making music. The languages of the region belong primarily to the Romance family of languages. Rhyming couplets form the basis for an important genre of song dueling in Portugal, Spain, and the Mediterranean islands (Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and Malta). Narrative ballads are more prevalent north of the Mediterranean. Singing is mainly monophonic, but polyphonic styles exist in Sardinia, Corsica, and certain parts of Italy.
