Music history: your guide to our programme

Music history: at City Lit

What is a music history course?

Music history courses are designed to help you explore new music and/or to find out more about the music you already enjoy.  Please read Karen Betley's blog post Music History: an introduction to find out more.

I am a complete beginner in classical music, what do you recommend?

We have courses specially designed to introduce you to classical music and to help you get a clear overview of the topic. The emphasis here is on understanding the timeline of key works, and helping you find ones you enjoy.

• Exploring classical music is a music appreciation course in three terms (modules) and is a great way to start exploring
• Great works courses are short courses (usually just one or two sessions) dedicated to a famous composer, performer or piece of music

*all courses with an asterisk in the list below are online courses

**if any of the links in this blog post say ‘page not found’ it means there is no instance of this course programmed into the website for the near future. Just contact the music office and we’ll let you know when the next course is expected to take place.

Autumn term 2021

Monday

• *MD029 Introduction to the orchestra, 20/09/2021, 5sessions, 10:30, Pauline Greene
• *MD997 Opera studies 1: passion, power and politics, 20/09/2021, 10sessions, 13:20, Pauline Greene
• *MD027 Introduction to contemporary classical music, 01/11/2021, 5sessions , 10:30, Pauline Greene
• *MD038A Christmas crooners, 06/12/2021, 1session, 13:30, Pauline Greene
• *MD615A Music history book club, 13/12/2021, 1session, 11:00, Trish Shaw
• *MD038B Great works: The Nutcracker, 13/12/2021, 1session, 13:30, Pauline Greene

Tuesday

• *MD030A Exploring classical music: module 1, 21/09/2021, 10sessions, 18:00, Karl Lutchmayer
• MD021A Exploring classical music: module 1, 21/09/2021, 10sessions, 13:30, Karen Betley
• *MD036A The long 19th century I: Romantics, poets and virtuosos, 21/09/2021, 10sessions, 10:50, Katy Hamilton
• MD022 Monteverdi and the musical Baroque, 21/09/2021, 10sessions, 15:20, Karen Betley
• *MD611 Introduction to electronic music, 07/12/2021, 2sessions, 19:00, Edward Henderson
• *MD701A Great works: Saint-Saëns's Carnival of the animals, 14/12/2021, 1session 14:00, Trish Shaw

Wednesday

• *MD815 Handel in Italy: cantatas, sacred music and opera, 22/09/2021, 10sessions, 14:00, Patrick Allies
• MD501 The symphony: a short history, 22/09/2021, 10sessions, 10:30, Edward Henderson
• *MD040A Medieval Christmas Carols, 08/12/2021, 1session, 14:00, Edward Breen

Thursday

• MD703A Benjamin Britten: place, poetry, music, 23/09/2021 10sessions, 14:00, Katy Hamilton
• *MD600 Russian music in 19th century St Petersburg, 23/09/2021, 10sessions, 10:30, Karen Betley
• *MD600A Russian music in 19th century St Petersburg, 23/09/2021, 10sessions, 13:30, Karen Betley
• *MD025A Exploring classical music: module 1, 23/09/2021, 10sessions, 18:00, Neil Luck
• *MD020C Exploring classical music: module 3, 23/09/2021, 10sessions, 16:00, Neil Luck
• *MD028A Topics in Ancient Greek music, 11/11/2021, 5sessions, 18:30, James Lloyd
• MD041A Great works: Walton's Symphony no.1, 09/12/2021, 1sessions, 14:00, Katy Hamilton
• *MD039A Great works: Mozart's Clarinet Quintet, 09/12/2021 2sessions, 10:30, Karen Betley

Friday

• *MD654B Exploring classical music: module 2, 24/09/2021, 10sessions, 10:30, Edward Breen
• *MD041C Orpheus and Eurydice: A tragic love story in ancient literature and early modern opera, 10/12/2021, 1 session, 13.30, Katy Hamilton & Nikoletta Manioti

Winter/Spring term 2022

courses will be hyperlinked when they are available for booking

Monday

• *MD026 Introduction to musicals, 10/01/2022, 5sessions, 10:30, Pauline Greene
• *MD998 Opera studies 2: the operatic soprano, 10/01/2022, 10sessions, 13:20, Pauline Greene
• *MD028 Introduction to film music, 21/02/2022, 5sessions, 10:30, Pauline Greene
• *MD615B Music history book club, 11/04/2022, 1session, 11:00, Edward Breen

Tuesday

• *MD036B The long 19th century II: Salons and symphonies, 11/01/2022, 10sessions, 10:50, Katy Hamilton
• MD021B Exploring classical music: module 2, 11/01/2022, 10sessions, 13:30, Karen Betley
• MD023 A 20th century English Musical Rebirth, 11/01/2022, 10sessions, 15:20, Karen Betley
• *MD030B Exploring classical music: module 2, 11/01/2022, 10sessions, 18:00, Karl Lutchmayer
• *MD912 Fight the power: the 70s political soul renaissance, 11/01/2022, 10sessions, 18:50, Toby Manning
• *MD611A Electronic music: a short history, 01/02/2022, 8sessions, 19:00, Edward Henderson
• MD033 Great artists: Fanny Mendelssohn, 29/03/2022, 2sessions, 14:00, Artemis Ignatidou

Wednesday

• MD612A Listening to the 20th century: module 1, 12/01/2022, 10sessions, 10:30, Edward Henderson
• *MD816 Handel in Ireland, 12/01/2022, 10sessions, 14:00, Patrick Allies

Thursday

• *MD604 Schubert: the chamber music, 13/01/2022, 10sessions, 10:30, Karen Betley
• MD703B What is music? 13/01/2022, 10sessions, 14:00, Katy Hamilton
• *MD020A Exploring classical music: module 1, 13/01/2022, 10sessions, 16:00, Neil Luck
• *MD025B Exploring classical music: module 2, 13/01/2022, 10sessions, 18:00, Neil Luck
• *MD039B Great works: Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, 31/03/2022, 2sessions, 10:30, Karen Betley [TBC]
• MD041B Great works: Janácek's ‘Intimate Letters’ Quartet, 07/04/2022, 1session, 14:00, Katy Hamilton

Friday

• *MD654C Exploring classical music: module 3, 14/01/2022, 10sessions, 10:30, Edward Breen
• *MD651 A short history of jazz: Louis Armstrong to Miles Davis, 14/01/2022 5sessions, 11:00, Sara Dhillon
• *MD658 Great Jazz composers, 18/02/2022, 5sessions,11:00, Sara Dhillon

Spring/Summer term 2022

courses will be hyperlinked when they are available for booking

Monday

• MD621 Introduction to ballet music, 25/04/2022, 5sessions, 10:30, Pauline Greene
• MD999 Opera studies 3: operas in production, 25/04/2022, 10sessions, 13:20, Pauline Greene
• MD624 Introduction to chamber music, 13/06/2022, 5sessions, 10:30, Pauline Greene
• MD615C Music history book club, 18/07/2022, 1session 11:00, Edward Breen

Tuesday

• *MD036C The long 19th century III: national pride and new directions, 26/04/2022 10sessions, 10:50, Katy Hamilton
• MD021C Exploring classical music: module 3, 26/04/2022, 10sessions, 13:30, Karen Betley
• MD024 Sibelius: from Nationalist to Modernist, 26/04/2022, 10sessions, 15:20, Karen Betley
• MD030C Exploring classical music: module 3, 26/04/2022, 10sessions, 18:00, Karl Lutchmayer
• MD662 Pop music: a brief history, 26/04/2022, 10sessions, 18:50, Toby Manning

Wednesday

• MD612B Listening to the 20th century: module 2, 27/04/2022, 10sessions, 10:30, Edward Henderson
• MD504 Music and the Grand Tour, 27/04/2022, 10sessions, 14:00, Patrick Allies

Thursday

• MD1002 Medieval music: a vessel for chivalry and prayer, 28/04/2022, 10sessions, 10:30, Karen Betley
• MD703D Ethel Smyth: An introduction, 28/04/2022, 5sessions, 14:00, Katy Hamilton
• MD020B Exploring classical music: module 2, 28/04/2022, 10sessions, 16:00, Neil Luck
• MD025C Exploring classical music: module 3, 28/04/2022, 10sessions, 18:00, Neil Luck
• MD039C Great works: Bach's Goldberg Variations, 14/07/2022, 1session, 10:30, Karen Betley

 Friday

• *MD654A Exploring classical music: module 1, 29/04/2022, 10sessions, 10:30, Edward Breen
• *MD622A The Beatles: a history through their music, 29/04/2022, 5sessions, 15:45, David Harrison
• *MD665B, Birds in opera and ballet, 10/06/2022, 5sessions, 10:30, Pauline Greene
• *MD622B Bob Dylan: an introduction to his music, 10/06/2022, 5sessions, 15:45, David Harrison