As Dr Barrett explains: ‘The prospect of recovering the music of lost songs of the distant past is tantalising, even more so when traces survive in unfamiliar notations that cannot be fully reconstructed. Such is the case for arguably the earliest layer of a continuous tradition of European song, which survives in the form of notated Latin lyrics bridging late antiquity and the early middle ages. This website introduces one body of song within this largely unknown repertory, songs from Boethius' De consolatione philosophiae (On the Consolation of Philosophy).’
This unique resource provides access to source materials, explains techniques of reconstruction, and offers versions that have been created to date; in doing so, it is hoped that users will feel inspired to make realisations of their own, and to contribute to the ongoing recovery of this extraordinary repertory.
Visit the website here: https://boethius.mus.cam.ac.uk
And listen to Dr Barrett discuss the project and his collaboration with Sequentia on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune.
