CFP: Early Modern Soundscapes, Bangor Univ., Apr 2014

Early Modern Soundscapes

CfP Deadline: December 1 2013
Conference dates: April 24-25 2014
Conference web site URL: http://www.bangor.ac.uk/english/Soundscapes
Conference venue (institution and city): Bangor University, Bangor, Wales, United Kingdom.

Details:

To include the Society for Renaissance Studies Third Annual Welsh Lecture, given by Professor Jennifer Richards (Newcastle University) and Professor Richard Wistreich (Royal Northern College of Music)

Early modern culture was awash with sounds.  From psalm singing to tavern songs to the reading of the riot act or town criers announcing noteworthy news, we are presented with an image of oral culture forming the basis of perpetual interaction between individuals and their communities.  Music, in particular, forms a backdrop to the soundscape, negotiating abstract sounds and speech.  This two-day symposium will interrogate ways of conceiving the early modern soundscape.   Topics might include (but are not limited to) the following:

·         Sounds and space
·         Sounds sacred
·         Sounds profane
·         Civic noise
·         Imagined soundscapes
·         Interaction between sound and speech communities
·         Oral and literate cultures
·         Music and performance culture
·         Sounds and medicine
·         Sounds and the senses
·         The relationship between words and music

We welcome abstracts of not more than 250 words for twenty-minute papers, or proposals for panels comprising three papers, to be sent to Rachel Willie (r.willie at bangor.ac.uk) by December 1st 2013.