54°46′30″N1°34′29″W / 54.775082°N 1.574678°W /54.775082; -1.574678
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| Established | 1969[citation needed] |
|---|---|
Academic affiliation | University of Durham |
| Address | Durham University ,,Palace Green Durham DH1 3RL |
| Head of Department | Laura Leante |
| Affiliations | University of Durham |
| Website | www |
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TheDepartment of Music is the music school of theUniversity of Durham.
It is one of the leading university music departments in the UK.[1][2][3] The Department of Music offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses, but also carries out research in musicology, analysis, music technology, music psychology, ethnomusicology, composition and performance.
Until 1889 all music degrees were honorary.[4] Recipients of the honorary doctorates wereJohn Bacchus Dykes in 1862 andJohn Stainer in 1885. There were four musicians who received aDCL prior to 1889; these wereGeorge Grove in 1875;Hubert Parry andCharles Villiers Stanford in 1894; and John Stainer in 1895. During Edward Bairstow's tenure of the Professorship, four composers were made honorary Doctors of Music; these wereJohn Ireland in 1932;Arnold Bax in 1935;William Walton in 1937; andThomas F. Dunhill in 1940.[5]
From 1891 until 1980 the university offered degrees by examination only to non-resident, "unattached", students, something which had been happening in the university since 1871.[6][7][8] Under David Greer's tenure external degrees were phased out.[9] In the 1970s Durham became one of the first British universities to offer doctorates in music by examination.[10] In 1991 the university celebrated 100 years of the awarding of the first music degrees.[11]
The music degree by examination at Durham differed from those at the universities ofOxford,Cambridge andLondon because alongside high musical ability it only demanded general educational qualifications. At other universities such degrees required competence in classics and mathematics. Exercises in composition were required for both the BMus and DMus, and later the MMus. These degrees proved popular with professional musicians, and by the inter-war period Durham music graduates probably outnumbered those of the other English universities put together.[12]
Since 1969, the department has run MUSICON, a professional concert series for the university and city.[13] Founded by David Lumsdaine, it has featured over 500 events including music from the middle-ages to the present day.[10][14]
The Music Department ofNewcastle University was established in the 1890s as part ofArmstrong College, itself part of the University of Durham. Prominent members of the department includedW. G. Whittaker,Jack Westrup andDenis Matthews.[15] The musicologistHenry Hadow was Principal of the College between 1909 and 1919.
The Department of Music offers a three-year BA undergraduate degree, and both taught and research postgraduate degrees, MA, MMus, and PhD.[16] The curriculum covers all key areas of music with particular strengths in music analysis, music history, ethnomusicology, music and science and performance and composition.
Major areas of research include:
Durham University Department of Music has been ranked as the best music department in the UK by the Complete University Guide for 2018,[1] and has appeared number one position for two years running in theSunday Times.[2] The department has also been ranked 3rd in the UK for the quality and impact of its research, according to theResearch Excellence Framework (REF) in 2014.[3]
The MMus and undress DMus gowns use the Oxford lay gown, which is similar in shape to the Durham masters' gown but with a flap collar covering the yoke and with inverted T-shaped armholes rather than straight horizontal cuts. Additionally there are panels of gimp near the foot of the gown and, on the DMus undress gown, on the sleeves. Instead of this panel, the MMus gown has a row of lace running from the armholes to the base of the sleeves.[17][18]
Whereas the BA music degree has the same hood as any other BA at the university (black with white fur), theformer BMus hood was "palatinate purple silk" (mauve) bound with brocaded white satin one inch wide.[19] The MMus hood is brocaded white satin bound with palatinate, and the DMus hood is palatinate.
Student music ensembles at Durham are run through Durham Student Music. From 1943-2015 the society was known as Durham University Music Society (DUMS), and was then changed to Music Durham under a move away from theDurham Students' Union framework.[20] The name was changed once again in 2023 to its current affiliation, Durham Student Music. Durham Student Music is no longer part of the Durham Students' Union, but instead part of the Student Enrichment Directorate, which also managesTeam Durham, formerly Durham University Athletic Union (DUAU).[21] Most colleges have their own music societies which host concerts in chapels and halls in college. Similarly, chapel choirs are not part of Durham Student Music but instead their own respectiveJunior Common Room.
The first professor of music wasPhilip Armes, who held office from 1897 to 1907. He had previously been resident examiner since 1890, alongsideJohn Stainer, who was anexternal examiner.[4] He had been appointed organist ofDurham Cathedral in 1862 and was granted a Mus. Bac.ad eundem from the university in 1863 and Mus. Doc. similarly in 1874 having received them in 1858 and 1864 respectively from theUniversity of Oxford. In 1891 he was granted an honorary MA.[22]
The second holder of the office wasJoseph Cox Bridge, whose tenure ran from 1908 to 1929.[23] He had been organ scholar ofExeter College, Oxford and then organist ofChester Cathedral.
Edward Bairstow was professor there from 1929 to 1946, a position he held alongside his tenure of the organist post atYork Minster. He was not required to be resident in Durham. Both Bridge and Bairstow died in office. During his time at Durham, Bairstow produced hisCounterpoint and Harmony in 1937.[5]
From 1947 to 1968,Arthur Hutchings was professor of music.[24] Hutchings was the first resident professor of music at Durham.[25] He was succeeded in 1969 by Eric Taylor, noted for his books on music theory.[26][27][28] After Taylor's early retirement in 1985, the post was held for nine years by David Greer.[11][29]
Other notable staff have included Brian Primmer,Jerome Roche (1967–1994), andAlan Thurlow (1973–1980).[citation needed]
Today there are around nineteen teaching staff who are supported by technical and administrative staff, and research students, including ethnomusicologistMartin Clayton.[30]
In common with other departements,[31] until the 1990s the department had only one professor who acted as head of the department. Today the department has many professors and associate professors. The position of head of department is changed every few years.
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1970–1981 David Lumsdaine[10]
?–2016 Max Paddison[32]
1993–present Jeremy Dibble[33]
?–present Bennett Zon
?–present Martin Clayton
2013–present Julian Horton
2013–present Tuomas Eerola
2015?–present Richard Rijnvos
2017–present Nick Collins
2020–present Patrick Zuk
1897–1907Philip Armes
1908–1929Joseph Cox Bridge
1929–1946Edward Bairstow
1947–1968Arthur Hutchings
1969–1985 Eric Robert Taylor[34]
1986–1995 David Greer[25]
1995–2013 Jeremy Dibble[35]
2013–2016 Julian Horton[36][37]
2016–2017 Jeremy Dibble[38]
2017–2020Tuomas Eerola[39]
2020–2021 Julian Horton
2021–present Laura Leante[40]
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The department occupies three listed buildings in the city of Durham, two on the west side ofPalace Green and one onNorth Bailey.
The main building, Divinity House, was rebuilt in 1661 and until 1844 was home toDurham School, and is a grade II*listed building and ascheduled ancient monument.[41] The building, which comprises the schoolroom and schoolmaster's house, has a sandstone elevation to Palace Green with parts of the schoolmaster's house having ashlar and red sandstone. The seventeenth century core was renovated in 1844 by George Pickering, cathedral clerk of works.[42] Pickering's renovation included the renewal of the large transomed and mullioned windows on the north side of the main one-storey schoolroom, now the main lecture room. The dado of the schoolroom is panelled, and though overpainted with black paint, generations of boys' graffiti can be seen.[43] The schoolmaster's house was altered in the eighteenth century and incorporates good interior woodwork, such as Corinthian columns surrounding the fireplace in the main room, and many surviving architraves. An extension to the west was added in 1899.[44] The building was converted for use as the university department of music in 1966 by Bernard Taylor & Partners.[45][46]
Until recently the adjacent formerDiocesan Registry housed the department library; it is now the computer room. Built in 1820 the building is constructed in an earlier style with Tudor arches and drip-mould hooded windows.[47]
The building on North Bailey, numbers 48 and 49, comprises two inter-connected brick-built Georgian townhouses.[48]
The department formerly had offices in Queen's Court, at 2 North Bailey (until 2013[49]) and 6 Owengate.[50]
Some well-known alumni of the Music Department include:[51]
The earlier of these alumni were "unattached" students and completed their papers away from Durham.[62][63]
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