Exploring Histories of Conflict - The soundscape of Discord in 17th Century England

Exploring Histories of Conflict, 'Sung up and down by minstrels': The Soundscape of Discord in Seventeenth Century England (Online) - Tuesday 14 January to Tuesday 18 February, 7-9pm

We very much look forward to welcoming both new and returning students to the University of Southampton.

We would like to advise that you will need to have the appropriate technology and suitable internet connection in place, as we will be making use of online materials. At Southampton, we use a virtual learning environment (VLE) called Blackboard which is used to deliver learning materials and real-time online teaching for our students.

Exploring Histories of Conflict
‘Sung up and down by minstrels’: The Soundscape of Discord in Seventeenth Century England (online).

Perhaps you enjoy the chamber music of Henry Purcell, the intimate lute settings of John Dowland, or the grand masses of William Byrd – but have you ever heard the performance of a libellous ballad, the ear-splitting clamour of rough music, or considered the meaning of a Black Sanctus? 

Welcome to the bizarre, noisy, and thought-provoking sound-world of seventeenth century English discord, in which music could be harnessed as a powerful weapon in the destruction of individual or collective authority. 

Discover how new technologies facilitated the spread of libel and misinformation in musical form; how composers of libellous song earnt grizzly punishments, and how, unlike other tools of combat, music provided a potent means of perpetuating slander, calling on ridicule, gossip and rumour to publicly disgrace its victims. 

Throughout this course, we bring the murky underbelly of seventeenth-century musical discord into the twenty-first, as we consider what the clamour of the past can reveal about how we regulate social behaviour, express dissent and engage in political debate today. 

Weekly topics will include: Slander and Libel: Politics and War; Crime and Punishment; Rituals; and Hearth and Home.

Course Description

This course will take place online on Tuesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm startting on Tuesday 14th January and finishing on Tuesday 18th February 2025.

Please see our price list below:

Standard price - £115.00
Staff/student/alumni price - £100.00

Unfortunately, you can only select the staff or student price option if you are a current or alumni student of the University or staff member.

When booking a course please do consult our Terms and Conditions which set out our cancellation and refund policy.