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Sound Heritage on the road

Recent months have been especially busy for the Sound Heritage project, not only with our November study day at Tatton Park, but also with a new venture - Sound Heritage Ireland. Sound Heritage Ireland Sound Heritage Ireland is a new initiative convened by Dr Karol Mullaney-Dignam, whose research delves into social, economic and political aspects of music and dance in Irish country houses. Continue reading →

Sound Heritage at the RNCM

Last month Southampton PhD student Catherine Garry joined the Sound Heritage network at Tatton Park (Cheshire), for a study day featuring music from the house's extensive library.  Sound Heritage joined forces with the Royal Northern College of Music to explore the music collected by Elizabeth Sykes, who married into the Egerton family of Tatton Park in the early 19th century. Continue reading →

Kenny plays Oliver

Great video from the inaugural concert of Playlist, the city of Southampton's newest concert series.  Head of Early Music Elizabeth Kenny (theorbo) plays Ben Oliver's 'Extending from the inside', which she premiered at the Cymnock Trust promenade concert in 2014.   https://www.youtube. Continue reading →

Performing Jane Austen

Samantha Carrasco completed her PhD at Southampton in 2013, and is on the university's piano faculty.  Her research on the Austen Family Music Books is the basis for an exciting new concert venture with soprano Helen Neeves and harpist Kate Ham.  Their new promotional video is out now and gives a taster of the sounds of Jane Austen's world: https://vimeo. Continue reading →

Dedication

By Peter Bridgwood (MMus Performance) Written by the acclaimed playwright Nick Dear, Dedication explores the relationship between William Shakespeare and the 3rd Earl of Southampton Henry Wriothesley. Taking the extremely limited knowledge that we have about their relationship, Dear postulates three different story lines; an old man obsessed with the young Lord; a business relationship like any other; or a sordid love affair, condemned by the society of the time. Continue reading →

Harpsichords return to Mottisfont

University of Southampton researchers Katharine Hawnt and Christopher D. Lewis are involved in an exciting project to reintroduce the harpsichord at Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire.  Booking for the 15 October event is now available from the Mottisfont event page. In March 2016 this small harpsichord was installed in the Boy’s Room at Mottisfont Abbey. Continue reading →

Exchanging knowledge with the National Trust

Postgraduate researcher Kate Hawnt has been enjoying the advantages of an enthusiastic, non-academic audience for her work: On April 11th I ventured up to the National Trust-owned property, Mottisfont Abbey, to give a talk in their Knowledge Exchange Programme. This is a series of in-depth talks offered to National Trust volunteers and staff to widen their knowledge of the property they work in. Continue reading →

Postcard from Potsdam

I've just returned from the State University of New York in Potsdam after participating in a fascinating festival on the French composer, conductor and pedagogue, Nadia Boulanger. When founded by the redoubtable Julia Crane in 1886, the Crane Normal Institute of Music was small enough to be run in the living rooms of a house on the town's main street. Today, the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam is a flourishing institution that boasts more than 500 undergraduate music majors. Continue reading →

British music for the modern harpsichord

Modern harpsichord advocate and Southampton PGR student Christopher D. Lewis tells us about his new recording on the Naxos label, based on his PhD research: My new recording British Music for Harpsichord, released at the beginning of this month, includes 20th-century and contemporary works by Lennox Berkeley, Herbert Howells, Gavin Bryars and John Jeffreys. Continue reading →

Sound Heritage returns

Just before the spring break, the Sound Heritage network met up for its second study day on music research and interpretation in country houses. Instead of gathering in the university, we made a field trip out to Chawton, home of Chawton House Library and Jane Austen's House Museum. Continue reading →