Britten at UEA: Call for papers

Britten 100 at UEA

Call for Papers

Symposium on Friday 8^th and Saturday 9^th March, 2013

Benjamin Britten’s centenary is being celebrated world-wide in the year 2013. This anniversary is particularly pertinent to us, as East Anglia was Britten’s place of residence for the main part of his life, as well as the fact that he was the chief advisor to the founding of the School of Music at UEA. Moreover, 2013 is also UEA’s own 50^th Anniversary.

To celebrate such an important year, we are launching a series of events running from November 2012 to March 2013. The events will include performances of a number of Britten’s compositions: Double Concerto for Violin & Viola (soloists: Simon Smith & Paul Silverthorne), Spring Symphony, Sword in the Stone (a new dramatised version) and Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings.Full details can be found at www.uea.ac.uk/mus/musicevents

In addition to these, we are organising a two-day symposium on Friday 8^th March 2013 & Saturday 9^th March 2013. The keynote speaker will be Prof. Arnold Whittall. We would like to invite all scholars interested in any of the following subjects/themes to offer papers of 20-30 minutes (with 10-15 minutes question time):

1. Research on any aspect of the works we are performing through the season as mentioned above;
2. Britten and music for children;
3. Britten and education;
4. Britten the Performer (a session to include live performance is welcomed);
5. Britten the ‘entrepreneur’;
6. Britten and his legacy.

These themes can be interpreted as generally as desired, including analyses of specific works as well as short live performances. There will also be a panel discussion on the general theme of Britten and his influence; scholars are also invited to contribute to this session, to be led by Prof. Arnold Whittall and Dr. Sharon Choa.

The symposium will coincide with one of our performances of Sword in the Stone, participants and delegates are encouraged to attend the evening performance on Friday 8^th March 2013 at the UEA Drama Studio. As part of the symposium proceedings, there will be a pre-performance talk to be hosted by BBC presenter Christopher Cook. The participants will include Prof. Arnold Whittall, Holly Maples (director of the production), Sharon Choa (conductor of the production).

Draft programme:

March 8, Friday

15.30 – 16.30                      Pre-performance talk hosted by Christopher Cook with

                                                Prof. Arnold Whittall (KCL), Holly Maples (UEA Drama), Sharon Choa (UEA Music) and Philip Reed (ENO)

18.00 – 19.00                      Optional pre-performance dinner

19.30 – c.21.00                   Performance of a new dramatized version of ‘Sword and the Stone’ with Britten’s incidental music of 1939

March 9, Saturday

9.30 – 10.00                        Tea and coffee on arrival

10.00 – 11.30                      First paper session

11.30 – 12.00                      Tea break

12.00 – 13.30                      Second paper session

13.30 – 14.30                      Lunch break

14.30 – 15.30                      Key-note paper by Prof. Arnold Whittall:

                                                                Benjamin Britten and the future of Britain’s Music

15.30 – 16.00                      Tea break

16.00 – c.17.00                   Panel discussion

17.00 – 17.30                      Drinks reception

Please submit a 500-word (max) abstract by Monday 31 December  to s.choa@uea.ac.uk to be considered by our symposium panel.

Merry Christmas and a very Happy 2013 !!!

Dr. Sharon A. ChoaDirector of UEA Music
Admin: Alex Carlson (concert coordinator)
T: 01603-593948 E: a.carlson@uea.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer, School of Music

T: 01603-592452/1