Abstract

Summer progresses are often seen as set-pieces in the theatre of monarchy.  Major royal visits, such as Elizabeth I’s to Norwich in 1578, cast long shadows in local memories, helped to cement political relationships, and still provide raw materials for local heritage bodies.  Apart from the famous journey to the Field of Cloth of Gold (1520), which left iconic images his royal entourage in northern France, Henry VIII’s most famous royal progress was that of 1535.  This toured the Severn Valley and took in Wolf Hall, but skirted the pestilent city of Bristol. 

Two on-going AHRC-funded research projects touch upon the phenomenon of Tudor royal itinerancy and its musical consequences. Henry VIII on Tour considers the practicalities, politics and legacies of Henry VIII’s progresses, with a focus on the progresses of 1511, 1522, 1535 and 1541.  Aural Histories considers the soundscape of the historic city of Coventry between 1451 (when Henry VI visited) and 1642. The two projects converge musicologically in 1511 when Henry VIII visited Coventry.

I shall consider the ramifications of royal journeys (and of sedentary monarchy) on courtly musical cultures. Both projects have also entailed more public-facing aspects of recovery and reclamation, performance, outreach and collaboration.  They also raise questions around the relationship between research and impact.

Biography

Magnus Williamson read Music at Magdalen College, Oxford, graduating in 1990. He has spent his academic career at Newcastle University since 1997. His research focuses upon the music of late-medieval and early modern Europe, especially in the sources and contexts of early-Tudor polyphony. He has been investigator on various UKRI projects including Tudor Partbooks (AHRC 2014-17), Aural Histories (AHRC 2022-25), Henry VIII on Tour (AHRC 2022-25) and Bee-ing Human (Leverhulme Trust 2022-25).  He is a keyboard player and music editor and is chairman of the British Academy series, Early English Church Music.