| Unit name | Tudor Music |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MUSI20100 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Allinson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
N/A Single Honours Music. Joint Honours students must normally thave taken Issues in History I or II at Level C |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Music |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This course traces music's place in the complex tapestry of 16th Century English culture and politics. We will consider the impact of religious upheavals on music and see how the changing tastes of the four monarchs affected musical styles and performance contexts. We will look at the lives of professional musicians, from guild and parish activities to life at court; from commercial activities to secret Roman Catholicism. We will also turn to areas in which little evidence survives - early publications of broadsheet music, or the role of women in musical life, for example - and explore the extent to which textbook histories weave such uncertainties into their narratives. This cultural backdrop will help us to make sense of the varied musical styles of the period, and with the analytical approaches which may fruitfully be brought to bear on them.
