In music, a composition created by substituting new lyrics or melody over an existing musical piece; a parody or adaptation.
From Latin 'contra-' (against) + 'factura' (making, composition). The term developed in medieval and Renaissance music to describe the practice of reusing melodies with new words.
Medieval church composers were masters of contrafacture—they'd take a popular secular song and slap sacred lyrics on it, creating a whole new piece that technically broke no rules about composition.
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