MUSI 006C. Choral Catalysts: Vocal Music That Affected Change

Group singing is one of the oldest and most powerful ways that people have connected with one another-and advocated for progress-throughout human history. This course surveys the music, composers, songwriters, and contexts surrounding group singing that has been linked to social and musical change throughout centuries. We’ll examine vocal works and traditions as a visceral and compelling component of national struggles for independence, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, the pursuit of environmental justice, and as response to the events of 9/11, among many others. We’ll also explore vocal music at the vanguard of musical invention, from the groundbreaking madrigals of Monteverdi to the genre-defying works of Caroline Shaw. Familiarity with music notation is encouraged but not required.
Humanities.
1 credit.
Spring 2025. Reiff.
Catalog chapter: Music
Department website: https://www.swarthmore.edu/music

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