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The Medieval Music Course in besalu 2014 - Souce: www.earlymusicbesalu.com

Medieval Music Performance 2015

4th International Course on Medieval Music Performance (12-14th century) takes place in Besalú in July

Medieval music performance in Besalu 2015 posterThe International Course on Medieval Music Performance offers singers and instrumentalists the possibility to study monophonic and polyphonic repertoires composed from the 12th to the 14th centuries. The course is organized in the medieval surroundings of Besalú, a small town in Norther Catalonia in Spain. Besalú is one of the most important and better-preserved medieval towns of Catalonia (Spain). It was already important during the 10th century as the capital of an independent county. In 1966, it was declared a “National Historic-Artistic Ensemble” due to its high medieval architectural significance. Strolling through the medieval streets and squares, we find the monumental Romanesque churches of Sant Pere and Sant Vicenç, the Romanesque hospital of Sant Pau, a majestic bridge with two defensive towers that was built over the river Fluvià during the same period, the Jewish quarter and its miqveh or jewish ritual bath, the Gothic Palace of the Royal Curia with is wide hall, and a series of medieval secular buildings spread out through the different neighborhoods. All these different patrimonial elements make the village a truly ideal place to conduct the International Course on Medieval Music Performance.

The course masterfully combines rigorous musicological research with a vibrant reconstruction of performance practice.

The main objectives are:

  • The study of different repertoires composed between 1100 and 1350.
  • The interpretation of the different music notational systems that record the repertoires.
  • The study of a historically-informed ways of singing and playing musical instruments that are appropriate for the different repertoires of the course. This includes vocal production, articulation, diction, tuning, and ornamentation.
  • The development of ensemble techniques appropriate to the performance of each repertoire.
  • The production of a concert for the closing of the course (Chant program and Vocal & Instrumental Program).

Special sessions are:

  • Vocal & Instrumental Program: Monophonic and polyphonic repertoires of the 12th and 13th centuries.
  • Chant Program: For directors and performers interested in the context and performance of Plainchant.
  • Ars Nova Program: French secular music from the first half of the 14th century.
  • Pythagorean Tuning Workshop: For singers and instrumentalists to work on Pythagorean tuning in the context of monophonic and polyphonic music.
  • Chamber Music Sessions in conjunction with the Vocal & Instrumental Program: Work in detail with small groups of mixed voices and instruments. Taken as part of the Voice & Instrument Program.

Luthiers: Medieval musical instruments by our specialized makers.

4th International Course on Medieval Music Performance
Besalù, Catalonia
04.07.2015 – 12.07.2015

FEATURED PHOTO: Intense Moment in Besalú 2014

Hogback at St Peter's in Heysham and the Isle of Man © viqueen

The Viking World – Diversity and Change

The Viking World was not monolithic. From 800 – 1066 it experienced a series of major transformations. International conference aims to shed light on the diversity and changes fostered during the 250 years, the Vikings ruled Northern Europe – or at least the waves.

Centre for the Study of the Viking Age is pleased to announce a major international conference, to take place at the University of Nottingham 27.06.2016 – 02.07.2016

Background:

Norse rune-stone, Maughold, Isle of Man © S. Storti
Norse rune-stone, Maughold, Isle of Man © S. Storti

2016 sees a range of significant anniversaries: not only the millennium of Knut’s accession to the English throne, but also the 950th anniversary of the Norman Conquest, arguably the end of the Viking Age in England, not to mention the 900th anniversary of the martyrdom of St Magnus of Orkney. These are end points of a period of major transformations – from the voyages and settlements of Scandinavians across the North Sea, the Atlantic and the Baltic, to the conversion of the homelands and the rise of medieval kingship. The Centre for the study of the Viking Age will host this conference which aims to capture the diversity of and change in the Viking Age and its aftermath.

First call for papers:

Papers of 20 minutes’ length are invited on the following themes:

  • The Danish dynasty
  • Technologies
  • Far-flung places
  • Nature and nurture
  • Transformations
  • Open theme

Poster presentations are also welcome.

Please send abstracts (no more than 300 words) to Dr Christina Lee (christina.lee@nottingham.ac.uk) not later than 31st January 2016 (papers) or 31st March 2016 (posters).

The Inner Courtyard at the Bargello in Florence

Heraldry in the Medieval City

The aim of the conference – Heraldry in the Medieval City – is to establish the current state of research and to advance the subject by linking more closely the history of heraldic communication and the history of cities by focusing on the Italian cities

Heraldry in the Medieval City: The Case of Italy in the European Context (Journées Héraldiques 5), Rome, 5th-7th May 2015

A visitor passing through Italy is surprised by the abundance of coats of arms that still decorate the palaces and public monuments of its cities. Relatively undisturbed by the tides of history that destroyed a lot of Europe’s heraldic heritage, in the Italian cities this heritage is still alive and well. While the development of heraldic signs occasionally caught the eye of historians and art historians, they have never done justice to the multitude and diversity of the existing sources. Recently, however, research has taken an interest in the subject with renewed vigour and approaches, especially in the case of Italy.

The aim of this conference is to establish the current state of research and to advance the subject by linking more closely the history of heraldic communication and the history of cities. To do so, the Italian example shall be put into a European perspective.

Coats of arms are surprisingly flexible and efficient means of communication. In cities, they may represent individuals as well as groups, the urban community as a whole as well as the ruler of the city. Heraldic signs are able to express the unity of the people – through the arms of the town and of its political institutions – as well as their social and political divisions – by identifying different parties, competing social groups and individuals.

The staging of these signs in the city, its chronology, actors, practices and challenges pose many questions:

On the one hand, there are questions concerning the factual representation of coats of arms in the city itself. When did these signs start to appear in urban space? In which places – public, private, sacred – are whose arms to be found? How are they presented? Is it possible to establish a “heraldic topography” of the medieval city?

On the other hand, concerning the way the contemporary citizens thought about the coats of arms and heraldic representation as such. Are there restrictions or regulations for displaying coats of arms in the urban space? Are there debates on the ways to stage coats of arms in the urban theatre? How did the citizens perceive their coats of arms? What functions, what effects, and what significance did they attribute to them?

Finally, are there parts of Europe that were more prone to using heraldic signs in urban contexts than others? Is the rich heraldic heritage of Italian cities the mere result of sources surviving by chance, or does it reflect a particular Italian development?

The conference will attempt to propose answers to these questions, not only by looking at the monumental evidence of medieval heraldry, but also by studying the discourses on these signs in written sources such as city records (Stadtbücher), sumptuary statutes, account books, legal records, city chronicles etc. While the expertise of specialists in heraldry is important, such a survey requires and welcomes especially the knowledge of historians of the medieval city, too.

By situating the Italian example in its European context and comparing the different analyses and approaches of heraldists, art historians, historians of visual culture and historians of the city, this conference intends to propose new perspectives on coats of arms in the city and tread new paths for future research.

Papers can be presented in English, French or Italian.

Proposals should be sent by 25th January 2015 together with an abstract (200 words) in English or French to journees.heraldiques@gmail.com.

Workshop organised by the research programme Héraldique, emblématique et signes d’identité au Moyen Age (Laurent Hablot, CESCM, University of Poitiers, École française de Rome) and the research project: The Performance of Coats of Arms – Die Performanz der Wappen. Zur Entwicklung von Funktion und Bedeutung heraldischer Kommunikation in der spätmittelalterlichen Kultur, Dilthey-Fellowship of the VolkswagenFoundation (Torsten Hiltmann, Historisches Seminar, University of Münster).

Sponsored by: CESCM-University of Poitiers; Research project “The Performance of Coats of Arms” (VolkswagenFoundation), University of Münster ; Ecole française de Rome; German Historical Institute Rome (DHI Rom); Académie de France à Rome.

Vhruch of Hollola In Finland. Source: Wikipedia

The Long Reformation in Northern Europe

TUCEMEMS organizes a symposium in February 2015 on the Long Reformation in Northern Europe.

The Long Reformation in Northern Europe
University of Turku, 21.02.2015
The TUCEMEMS project “500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation” launches a call for papers concerning the Reformation in Northern Europe. This Call functions as the first step for applications to individual fellowships of Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) durable between 12 and 24 months at the Turku Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies, University of Turku, Finland. We encourage early career postdoctoral researchers and senior researchers of various fields of humanities (e.g. musicologists, archaeologists, linguists and philologists, philosophers, historians, art historians, legal historians, and researchers of comparative literature and religion) who are applicable in the MSCA and who are interested in participating in the MSCA Call (12 March – 10 September 2015) in collaboration with TUCEMEMS to propose an original research paper for a seminar to be held in Turku on 21 February 2015.
We encourage research plans with an inter-/multidisciplinary approach. Most preferable are contributions focusing on a longue durée perspective on European reforms. The topics related to the following areas are especially welcomed:
  • material reformation (e.g. liturgical vessels, devotional objects, art and archi-tecture)
  • book and reformation (e.g. vernacular translations of the Bible and early book prints)
  • Luther and other reformers and counter-reformers in northern Europe
  • educational, social and political dimensions of the Reformation

We welcome you to participate in the seminar and kindly ask you to send us:

  • a proposal for a paper (500-word abstracts of a 30-minute paper)
  • a short CV (max. 4 pages including your most relevant publications)
  • a two-page research proposal for a working period in Turku with a clear indication of why TUCEMEMS would be the best host institution for your research regarding the reformatory movements in Europe.
If the paper proposal is accepted, we ask the contributors to prepare their final papers in a clear relation to their complete research plan and present it in the Symposium on 21 February 2015.
The working language of the seminar is English. The application deadline is 15 December 2014. All proposals will be reviewed by the TUCEMEMS board which will select 8 to 10 candidates to the symposium. The programme of the seminar includes keynote lectures by David Gaimster, Director of The Hunterian, University of Glasgow and Sabrina Corbellini, Rosalind Franklin Fellow, University of Groningen, esteemed scholars on material culture and languages of Reformation and/or Counter-reformation. Candidates should ensure that they fulfill the conditions of eligibility and send their proposal with additional documents mentioned above by e-mail to mmonor[at]utu.fi.
TUCEMEMS will offer the participants accommodation and cover legitimate travel expenses. Notification of acceptance will be sent by 19 December 2014.
For information and questions regarding the CFP and the Call for MSCA (http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/calls/h2020-msca-if-2015.html  ), please contact Professor Kirsi Salonen (kilesa[at]utu.fi) or Dr. Tuomo Fonsén (tuofon[at]utu.fi).
A brief description of the TUCEMEMS project “500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation”
The Turku Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies (TUCEMEMS) is a multidisciplinary centre funded by the University of Turku. It promotes interdisciplinary and cross-cultural studies of topics from Late Antiquity to the eighteenth century. The Centre aims at facilitating medieval and early modern studies at the University especially by coordinating international collaboration and encouraging interdisciplinary debate.
In 2014 the TUCEMEMS initiated a large research project related to the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation in 2017. Within this project, we study the Reformation from a wide multidisciplinary perspective. The project does not only concentrate on the Lutheran Reformation proper, but we are interested in reform movements within a long time frame: from the medieval reformatory actions aiming to change the Catholic Church up to the post-Lutheran movements. The project examines, for example, themes as the perception of Luther in course of time, the role of Luther as well as other reformers and counter-reformers, vernacular translations of the Bible, reformatory writings, music, arts and architecture, and the educational, social and political dimensions of the Reformation as well as material culture. The geographical focus of the project is in northern Europe but special attention is paid to the reformatory activity in Finland and in particular in the City of Turku.
The TUCEMEMS project “500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation” is carried out in national and international cooperation with ecclesiastical, academic and other institutional cooperation partners such as the City of Turku and the Evangelic-Lutheran Church of Finland. By providing new information in the form of lectures, exhibitions and other activities, the project benefits everyone interested in the Reformation: scholars, students, and the general public.
codex holmiensis jyske lov

Law and Language in the Middle Ages

The relationship between law and legal practice in a linguistic context will be the theme for the series of conferences on medieval law sponsored by Carlsberg

Law and Language in the Middle Ages
Royal Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark 10.09.2015 – 11.09.2015

We are happy to announce the upcoming interdisciplinary conference on medieval legal history and therefore invite colleagues whose research touches upon aspects of law and language in the Middle Ages to submit proposals for papers of 20 minutes’ duration. A title and an abstract of 200-250 words should be sent by e-mail to one or more members of the organising committee (see e-mail addresses below).

Keynote Speaker will be Prof. Bruce o’Brien from The University of Mary Washington

Deadline for proposals is 1st February 2015.

The final programme will be published soon thereafter. All proposals and presentations should be in English. The papers will be published.

Suggested thematic strands are:

The relationship between law and legal practice in a linguistic context, the similarities / dissimilarities in terminology and practice, the problems and possibilities of translating laws from this region into modern English or other modern languages, ‘Germanic’ legal language, law and language in the North Sea area, the relationship between Latin and vernacular in the legal texts, adoption and application of legal language in other domains. The list is by no means exhaustive and other proposals touching on the main theme of law and language are most welcome.

The conference is held at the Royal Academy for Science and Letters, H.C. Andersens Boulevard 35, in the centre of Copenhagen

Registration fee for non-speakers will be € 100 or 750 Danish Kroner payable upon arrival at the conference. The fee includes lunch on Thursday and Friday, the conference dinner on Thursday, and the closing reception on Friday, and all drinks and snacks. Speakers are of course exempt from paying the conference fee.

Please use the registration form which will be available on the conference web page in winter 2015: . Deadline for non-speakers’ registration is 1 September 2015. The Academy lecture room can only contain a limited number of participants so please do not hesitate to register.

The conference is sponsored by: the Carlsberg Foundation

and Ingeniør, kaptajn Åge Nielsens Familiefond

If you have any queries, or want to submit a proposal, please feel free to use any of these addresses: Helle Vogt (helle.vogt@jur.ku.dk), Jenny Benham (BenhamJ@cardiff.ac.uk) or Per Andersen (pa@jura.au.dk ).

The Organising Committee:

Helle Vogt, associate professor, The Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen

Jenny Benham, lecturer, Cardiff School of History, Archaeology and Religion, Cardiff University

Per Andersen, professor, The Department of Law, University of Aarhus