Lecture-Recital: Sam Barrett / Sequentia: Singing and Listening to the 'De consolatione philosophiae' in the Early Middle Ages

As part of the conference 'Boethius: 524-2024' held at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, Prof. Sam Barrett and Sequentia present a lecture-recital on 'Singing and Listening to the De Consolation philosophise in the Early Middle Ages'.

'This lecture-recital explores different ways into the question of how the poetic portions of the De consolatione philosophiae were sung and heard in the Early Middle Ages. We begin with an account of the emotions stirred by listening to this text recorded by Æthelweard (d. c. 998), historian and author of a Latin version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Questions raised by his account lead into a presentation in three parts. First, we consider descriptions of singing and listening given in the De consolatione philosophiae, proposing that both were essential in drawing the prisoner into a close relationship with Philosophia that proved vital to his restoration. Secondly, we examine evidence for the singing of the De consolatione philosophiae in the ninth to twelfth centuries, contemplating details in the recovered leaf of the Cambridge Songs manuscript that suggest that styles of singing were chosen in response to specific modes of vocal delivery implied in the narrative. Finally, we listen to and explore the significance of recently discovered polyphonic settings of four poems recorded ca. 1100 in Aquitaine, placing these song styles within a specific cultural milieu and arguing that their ‘twofold song’ provided new ways of figuring the dialogue that lies at the heart of Boethius’ final work.'

Further details of the conference may be found here.