Engaging with Religious History and Theological Concepts through Music Composition: <i>Ave generosa</i> and <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i>
This article explores the intersections among music composition, religious history and spiritual texts, with their attendant concepts. It focuses on two works with medieval sources—the concert piece <i>Ave generosa</i> (1996) and the chamber opera <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/5/640 |
| _version_ | 1797598508549668864 |
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| author | Brian Andrew Inglis |
| author_facet | Brian Andrew Inglis |
| author_sort | Brian Andrew Inglis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article explores the intersections among music composition, religious history and spiritual texts, with their attendant concepts. It focuses on two works with medieval sources—the concert piece <i>Ave generosa</i> (1996) and the chamber opera <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i> (2008)—which were featured in the online Gallery of the conferences in 2021 and 2022, respectively, of the British and Irish Association for Practical Theology (BIAPT). Through the lenses of semiotics and intertextuality, it explores the ways by which theological concepts and spiritual contexts can be evoked and ‘translated’ into musical sound, both instrumental and vocal. A sampling of the literature on medieval monasticism and St Hildegard of Bingen, whose corpus forms the source of <i>Ave generosa</i>, supports a musical exegesis of its ‘spiritual programme’. In the case of <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i>, recent scholarship on the text frames examples of the multiplication of meanings provided by dramatisation and musical setting. Art in general and music composition in particular are presented as a commentary, or gloss, on both religious history and enduring spiritual themes, and a different way of thinking about religion and spirituality. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:22:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1fa3375a810b4e958427de42ae46a816 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:22:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-1fa3375a810b4e958427de42ae46a8162023-11-18T03:05:06ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442023-05-0114564010.3390/rel14050640Engaging with Religious History and Theological Concepts through Music Composition: <i>Ave generosa</i> and <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i>Brian Andrew Inglis0Department of Performing Arts, Middlesex University, London NW4 4BT, UKThis article explores the intersections among music composition, religious history and spiritual texts, with their attendant concepts. It focuses on two works with medieval sources—the concert piece <i>Ave generosa</i> (1996) and the chamber opera <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i> (2008)—which were featured in the online Gallery of the conferences in 2021 and 2022, respectively, of the British and Irish Association for Practical Theology (BIAPT). Through the lenses of semiotics and intertextuality, it explores the ways by which theological concepts and spiritual contexts can be evoked and ‘translated’ into musical sound, both instrumental and vocal. A sampling of the literature on medieval monasticism and St Hildegard of Bingen, whose corpus forms the source of <i>Ave generosa</i>, supports a musical exegesis of its ‘spiritual programme’. In the case of <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i>, recent scholarship on the text frames examples of the multiplication of meanings provided by dramatisation and musical setting. Art in general and music composition in particular are presented as a commentary, or gloss, on both religious history and enduring spiritual themes, and a different way of thinking about religion and spirituality.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/5/640religious historyspiritualitymysticismtheologymusic compositionSt Hildegard of Bingen |
| spellingShingle | Brian Andrew Inglis Engaging with Religious History and Theological Concepts through Music Composition: <i>Ave generosa</i> and <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i> Religions religious history spirituality mysticism theology music composition St Hildegard of Bingen |
| title | Engaging with Religious History and Theological Concepts through Music Composition: <i>Ave generosa</i> and <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i> |
| title_full | Engaging with Religious History and Theological Concepts through Music Composition: <i>Ave generosa</i> and <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i> |
| title_fullStr | Engaging with Religious History and Theological Concepts through Music Composition: <i>Ave generosa</i> and <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Engaging with Religious History and Theological Concepts through Music Composition: <i>Ave generosa</i> and <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i> |
| title_short | Engaging with Religious History and Theological Concepts through Music Composition: <i>Ave generosa</i> and <i>The Song of Margery Kempe</i> |
| title_sort | engaging with religious history and theological concepts through music composition i ave generosa i and i the song of margery kempe i |
| topic | religious history spirituality mysticism theology music composition St Hildegard of Bingen |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/5/640 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brianandrewinglis engagingwithreligioushistoryandtheologicalconceptsthroughmusiccompositioniavegenerosaiandithesongofmargerykempei |