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Why Music? The Key to Memory

Live from Wellcome Collection, Mahan Esfahani explores the role of shared memory in early music. With music from Mahan himself, cornettist Helen Roberts and Downside Abbey monks.

Harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani and guests explore the role of shared memory in early music.

The cornet player Helen Roberts demonstrates 'divisions' in early music - the division of longer notes into shorter, fast-moving florid ornamentations. She explains how building up a memory bank of such divisions helps with improvisation.

Monks from Downside Abbey perform medieval music and describe how repetition of key melodic lines helps to memorise the Psalms

And Mahan investigates a 13th-century Greek medical manuscript from Wellcome's Library, where chants are used to help memorise the symptoms, causes and cure of various conditions.

Live from Wellcome Collection as part of Why Music? The Key to Memory, a weekend of events, concerts and discussions exploring the implications of music's unique capacity to be remembered.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 15 Oct 2017 15:00
大象传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Goldberg variations BWV.988

    Performer: Mahan Esfahani.

  • Cipriano de Rore

    Ancor che col partire - madrigal for 4 voices [1547]

    Performer: Helen Roberts. Performer: Mahan Esfahani.

  • Hernando de Cabezon

    Ancor che col partire

    Performer: Helen Roberts. Performer: Mahan Esfahani.

  • Anon.

    Psalm 109 in mode Vll

    Performer: The Monks and Choirboys of Downside Abbey.

  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Super flumina Babylonis - motet for 4 voices [1581]

    Performer: Westminster Cathedral Choir.
    • Hyperion.
    • CDA66490.

  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Super flumina Babylonis - motet for 4 voices [1581]

    Performer: Helen Roberts. Performer: Mahan Esfahani.

  • Anton Bruckner

    Christus Factus Est

    Performer: The Monks and Choirboys of Downside Abbey.

  • Anon.

    Credo

    Performer: The Monks and Choirboys of Downside Abbey.

  • Anon.

    Tune from Wellcome manuscript

    Performer: The Monks and Choirboys of Downside Abbey.

  • ANON

    Wellcome Greek Chants

    Performer: Dr Athanasios Charlampopoulos. Performer: Dr Dimitrios Skrekas. Performer: Michael Georgakisby. Performer: Pavlos Melas.

Broadcast

  • Sun 15 Oct 2017 15:00
    大象传媒 Radio 3

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