Event overview
'Voice, affect, and ideology at Christmas, or, What I was left pondering when my figgy pudding had settled.'
Abstract:
Amongst the many ideological impulses in which music played a role in nineteenth century England were those surrounding the family and the construction of childhood, particularly within the context of Christianity. The rise of Methodism and its role in both imperialist and charitable missionary work were accompanied by a soundtrack of congregational singing, useful in solidifying new Christian communities. Meanwhile, legislative changes relating to employment and education helped define concepts of childhood, and particularly in terms of the ‘innocence’ of childhood as being in need of protection. Such legislation extended benefits to the working conditions of boy choristers, whose voices still represent today ideas of the ‘angelic’ and ‘pure’. The place of the boy treble in Christmas music, much of the canon of which is from this period in history, is therefore particularly interesting; on the one hand, the hymnody speaks of congregationalism and builds community, whilst the soaring descant lines and occasional solos are untouchable by the average singer from the pews, instead voicing the purity of mortal childhood and embodying a divine chorus of angels. I am interested in situating these ideologies in contemporary culture and the affective frames around this music, and understanding how both congregational and ‘angelic’ vocalities undertake their cultural work.
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Author of 'Oh Boy! Masculinities and Popular Music' and 'Queer Voices
Technologies, Vocalities, and the Musical Flaw', Freya Jarman will present this afternoon lecture.
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Music Research Series welcomes visiting speakers and artists, as well as Goldsmiths University researchers, to present their most recent research and test out ideas in progress, which then become a focus for lively discussion.
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Freya Jarman is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Music at Liverpool University, where she was appointed after completing her doctoral thesis with Dr Ian Biddle. Born in the year in which both Elvis Presley and Maria Callas died, Freya's research and teaching has covered the works of both artists and more, and she is committedly a 'crossover artist' in terms of the musical material she finds interesting. Her 'way in' to research is not first and foremost through repertoire, but through questions pertaining to music in culture, especially the voice and vocality, and especially through the critical lenses of queer theory and psychoanalytic theory. This leads her to various musical places, and she is as likely to be found talking about overdubbing in the music of the Carpenters as she is to be read in her research on how camp works musically. Freya came to the job for the possibility of pursuing both research and teaching, and more or less manages both (while also enjoying her administrative role as Director of Undergraduate Studies). Her publications include a chapter on the changing sound of masculinity in opera at the turn of the nineteenth century, her monograph 'Queer Voices' (2011), and forthcoming work on lip-syncing scenes in films. As a teacher, Freya channels her erstwhile ambitions to be a performer of some variety, and is committed to thinking outside of the boxes of pedagogy. Such commitment has been recognised by the Faculty (she won a Faculty Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching in 2013), the University (she was the 2009 winner of a University Teaching Award for Excellence in Innovation), the Higher Education Academy (since being awarded Senior Fellowship in 2014), and the Central European University (who shortlisted her for the European Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching in the Social Sciences and Humanities in 2014). When the bell rings at the end of the school day, Freya goes home to her partner, with whom she enjoys make-and-do time, and watching anything starring Sandra Bullock.
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The Music Research Series is designed to help postgraduate students advance their research and careers. The events stimulate exchange, hones skills, facilitates the creation of professional networks and helps to consolidate the department’s postgraduate community. Attendance is strongly recommended for all postgraduate students (MA, MMus and PGR) in Music but of course undergraduates, music researchers, and visitors from across the college and the community are also most welcome to these public lectures.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Mar 2015 | 5:00pm - 6:00pm |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
