Course Catalogue

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This course intends to explore critically the phenomenon of song across times and cultures by exploring a range of repertoires and practices. The course offers the students the possibility of engaging with a range of scholarly and practical approaches (musicology/Music studies, composition and arranging, performance and Performance Practice). Students will also develop their own independent project in one or more of these areas under the guidance of the course convenor. 

1 x 1 hr lecture over 12 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus

1 x 2 hr seminar over 13 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus 

3 x 40 minute tutorials

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into BMus, MA Music, BEng/MEng Electronics and Music, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation

None

None

Essay (2000 word) - 30%

Composition/Arrangement (totalling ca. 40 bars for composition or ca. 80 bars for arrangement) - 30%

Individual Project (4000 words or equivalent) - 40%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to:

■ Introduce students to the plurality of the phenomenon of song and singing across times and cultures through the development of context-sensitive analytical, critical and practical approaches to specific bodies of song

■ Foster student reflection on song, singing and vocality as transnational, transhistorical phenomena

■ Encourage students to apply and develop critical, creative approaches that combine theoretical and practical work to engage with song

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Situate specific manifestations of the phenomenon of song with reference to a range of analytical, critical and historical paradigms

■ Apply a range of techniques to compose and/or arrange a song

■ Design and implement an individual project on a specific topic within the theme of song, singing and vocality, combining either a range of theoretical approaches, or theoretical and practical approaches

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.