Medieval Music Reaching Out: Sound Memories and our Cultural Roots

A video presenting highlights of the outreach project “Roots” at the Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge, supported by SoundMe (soundme.eu), the Helen Hamlyn Trust, Cambridgeshire Music, and Cambridge Early Music. The first phase of the project concluded on 19 March, 2019 in celebration of the European Day of Early Music, with a concert given by VOCES8 in Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge. Secondary school students from two local schools came together to sing alongside VOCES8. New skills developed by students were put into practice in a programme that celebrates singing from Medieval chant through to a cappella arrangements of Pop songs.

“Roots” is a new education initiative led by the Faculty of Music at the University of Cambridge, VOCES8, Cambridge Early Music, Cambridgeshire Music, Anglia Ruskin University, and The Brook Street Band. Its aim is to trial a new model for music provision within primary and secondary schools across the Cambridgeshire region.

The project draws together all ages in teaching music. New resources and opportunities are provided for classroom teaching by Prof. Susan Rankin and Adam Mathias as part of the SoundMe project, which is dedicated to exploring the use of the music past in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe and its continued relevance. The vocal strand is led by internationally acclaimed educators, VOCES8.