s and Tick 5). The most important music professions were closed to them; however, some women found employment as members of traveling companies of minstrels and as household musicians. It is not surprising that we know little of the compositions of women of this time period. These women had little opportunity for training in theory and polyphony, which were becoming the prevailing mode.
Women born into noble families or rich merchant families had better opportunities to study with private music teachers and to perform in their social circles. The element of class is quite relevant in determining women's access to musical instruction and performing opportunities (Bowers and Tick 5). Women who came from the same classes as male musicians had no chance for musical training unless they were born into musical families.
During the middle of the sixteenth century, the activities available to women began to change. Women began to participate in professional singing in the court. For the first time, these women began to be sought out and trained specifically
...