City of London Festival lectures (2011-2015)

# playlist (click the video's upper-left icon)

source: GreshamCollege      2013年8月8日
Gresham College is very proud to host a series of lectures each June/July as a part of the City of London Festival. More information about the lectures can be found on www.gresham.ac.uk More information about the festival can be found on http://www.colf.org/
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and...
Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollege
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege

1 55:17 Culture and Resistance: Indigenous Responses to a Globalised World - Michael Walling
This lecture looks at the place occupied by indigenous cultures in today's globalised world.
At a time when the world is confronted with economic insecurity, ecological instability and endemic cultural dilution, Michael Walling points towards alternative approaches to living which embody the struggle for physical and cultural survival in the face of environmental insecurity, corporate aggression and the criminalization of indigenous lifestyles and social protests.
The lecture explores some of the ways in which indigenous artists are drawing off their rich cultural inheritances to confront and resist the global concerns facing us today.

2 53:56 Birdsong and Music - David Matthews

Many composers have been influenced by birdsong. Mozart treasured the songs of his pet starling, even giving the bird a ceremonial funeral. David Matthews, one of Britain's leading composers, has always been interested in the incorporation of the natural world into his music, recently even including birdsong in some recent compositions. This lecture offers an opportunity for reflection on the relations between music and the natural world and how a composer can be brought closer to one through the other and vice versa.

3 58:38 Percy Grainger: Australia's greatest composer? - Professor Malcolm Gilles

We can think of world-leading Australians in sport (Don Bradman), media ownership (Rupert Murdoch) and film (Nicole Kidman). In music, some great performers come to mind, especially female singers (Nellie Melba, Joan Sutherland). But how many people can even name an Australian composer? In his Gresham Lecture, Malcolm Gillies probes this elusive category of greatness. Percy Grainger (1882-1961), the composer of Country Gardens, is often mentioned as a contender. But, despite his birth, was he really Australian, was he primarily a composer, and what was so great about him, anyway?

4 59:19 Nga Reo o te Whenua (Voices of the Land): Traditional Maori Instruments and Music - Richard Nunns

In his solo presentation of traditional instruments (taonga puoro), Richard Nunns introduces his audience to the ancient sound world of the Mäori of Aotearoa New Zealand. For each presentation he chooses from among fifty different instruments - mainly percussion or flutes and trumpets. Made from materials such as wood, bone, stone and shell, many of the instruments are carved in exquisite detail.

The voices of the traditional instruments had rarely been heard since the early nineteenth century. Nunns's musicality and facility in playing the instruments are underpinned by his extensive scholarship and research. In a report of a recent workshop, Tewe Eru (Tuwharetoa) said "It's sad that so much of this traditional knowledge has been lost to us, so I'm here to learn. Richard is an encyclopaedia and I can't get enough of it!"

This presentation is interwoven with stories about the instruments and their functions within the rituals and ceremonies of a traditional community.

5 58:19 Berlioz's Requiem: The Grande Messe des Morts and the Absence of God - David Cairns

David Cairns delivers this lecture on Berlioz's Grande Messe des Morts Op. 5 (Requiem), ahead of the City of London Festival performance of the piece by the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Sir Colin Davis, which took place at St. Paul's Cathedral.

6 50:03 Resetting the Human Compass: The Use and Value of the Arts - Sir Andrew Motion
How might the arts help 'reset' the direction of the human compass in our difficult times? Is an instrumentalist approach to the arts and culture ever a good thing? Knighted for his services to literature and Poet Laureate from 1999 -- 2009, Sir Andrew Motion proposes answers to these questions, with reference to his own education as well as poems by Alice Oswald, Seamus Heaney and William Wordsworth.
7 44:55 The Lost World of 1962 - Dominic Sandbrook
In this lecture, Dominic Sandbrook, the acclaimed historian of Sixties Britain, marks the 50th anniversary of the City of London Festival by looking back at Britain in 1962. Fifty years on, the Britain of Harold Macmillan, Acker Bilk, Jimmy Greaves and James Hanratty feels like a vanished world. But was life back then really so different?
8 36:13 Human Livelihoods Depend on Wild Flowers: Kew's Millennium Seed Bank explained - Dr Robert Probin
In this talk Dr Robin Probert explains why human livelihoods depend so much on wild plant diversity. He outlines the current threats to wild plants across the globe and how Kew's Millennium Seed Bank Partnership works to conserve plants and make seeds available for habitat repair, re-introduction and research. Current work in the UK that aims to restore wildflower meadows and other threatened habitats is also highlighted.
9 48:40 Trading Places and Travelling: Musical Legacies of the Hanseatic League - Dr Geoffrey Webber
The cities of Northern Europe developed their trading links with our own City of London.  An important by product of their economic success was the flowering of culture in all these cities and their attraction of talent from other places.
10 53:44 The Plane Forest: Does the City have the right trees? - Hugh Johnson OBE
The City of London actively seeks to make the most of its green spaces and plant trees wherever possible. But does it plant the right sort of trees? What are the right sort of trees?
11 49:43 Poetry Of War: A lecture and reading by Gillian Clarke
Poet Gillian Clarke has responded through her writing to many of the world's wars and troubles -- for this special event she will read from her own work and that of war poets such as Wilfred Owen.
12 59:22 London-Derry Connections: The early years, 1613-1640 - Dr Ian Archer
How did the City of London come to be involved in the Irish plantation? How well did the City discharge its obligations as colonial entrepreneurs on behalf of the English crown? Why did Charles I seek to confiscate the City's holdings in the 1630s?
In this lecture Dr Ian Archer, a historian of early modern London, explores the early years of the Londonderry plantation, showing the reluctance with which the Londoners took it on, but suggesting that they made the best of a difficult job. It brings out the challenges of colonial development and shows how the project soured relations between the City and the Stuart crown, the confiscation proving to be a major element in the breakdown of the regime in the 1640s.
13 47:03 The Tree of Life - Dr Richard Chartres
Illuminating one of the City of London Festival's main themes, the Bishop of London will explore trees as spiritual, mystical and religious symbols of faith and life.
14 58:03 Stravinsky, Britten and the Lure of the Classical Past - Professor Jonathan Cross
Professor Cross examines the themes of metamorphosis and other classical myths in music.
15 53:04 Treaty-Making and International Relations - Professor Jack Spence OBE
Professor Spence will explore the impact of the Treaty of Utrecht - 300 years after its creation - and other major treaties, and of the role of diplomacy.
16 47:33 Faith in Women - Reverend Lucy Winkett
This talk examines the changing role of women and girls in the music and ministry of the Anglican Church: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and...
Walk into any church or cathedral today and you might hear women singing, preaching, praying publicly. In a society where the relevance of the church is constantly questioned, has this change made any difference and does it matter?
17 42:53 Britain's Relations with Korea: A Personal View - Sir Thomas Harris KBE CMG
Sir Thomas Harris speaks frankly about the trials and triumphs of his time as British Ambassador to South Korea, painting a vivid picture of his service, the relationship between the nations and of the South Korean life too: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and...
Sir Thomas Harris has a long and distinguished career in the Diplomatic Service, but nothing tested his skills more than the years he spent as British Ambassador to South Korea. In this lecture he reflects upon Britain's relations with Korea and gives a personal, but very learned, view of this key partner.
18 57:31 The Science of Singing - Professor David Howard
Applying modern scientific analysis to the human voice has opened exciting new avenues of teaching, expression and healthcare: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and...
Singing affects us all in some way, but what is the science behind it? Discover the science that explains how singers can gain a wide pitch range, greater volume and sing in different styles.
19 40:11 The History of the Bowler Hat - Timothy Long
At times the Bowler hat has been ubiquitous, but how did the invention of two milliner brothers come to be so closely associated with British identity?: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and...
An icon long associated with the City of London, the unmistakable bowler hat was an essential part of every City worker's uniform. By the 1950s, businessmen wouldn't be seen in the Square Mile without one. Timothy Long, Curator of Fashion & Decorative Arts at the Museum of London, explores the history of this fascinating hat.
20 [private video]
21 58:49 Sir Christopher Wren and the Rebuilding of the City Churches - Dr Anthony Geraghty
How did Sir Christopher Wren rebuild the City Churches?: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and...
In this lecture, Anthony Geraghty will reveal how Sir Christopher Wren went about rebuilding over fifty churches in the decades after the Great Fire. He will describe the several factors - economic, political, religious, aesthetic - that shaped the appearance of these much-loved buildings.
22 55:59 Replanning London after the Second World War - Peter Larkham
How do you rebuild one of the world's largest cities? You need a cunning plan: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and...
London was, during the Second World War, the largest and most obvious target, and the most badly-bombed city in the country. Ideas about rebuilding began very early, even during the Blitz itself. The number, scale and variety of plans was large, ranging from the “informal” – produced by individuals, and probably more for promoting themselves than as serious contributions, and a range of organisations – to the “formal”, produced by Borough Councils and other authorities, by their own staff or eminent consultants. Central Government was also involved, in urging some authorities to make plans, in recommending consultants, and in commissioning large-scale plans.
The hierarchy of official plans (for the City, County and Greater London) were the culmination of ideas about city structure, function and design, as well as approaches to planning, that had been developing before the war. They were hugely influential elsewhere in Britain and, through various forms of promotion, elsewhere in the world. This talk will explore the range of plans, what was proposed, and the gap between proposals and what was eventually – often years or decades later – actually built.
23 54:28 The Benefits of Singing in a Choir - Professor Paul Welch
The benefits of singing in a choir are many and various. In particular, there are positive physical outcomes and mental health benefits.
These are related to improved cardiovascular fitness (including lung function), as well as improved mood and general alertness, often allied to a feeling of being spiritually uplifted. Because singing involves many different areas of the brain acting in concert, there are often associated cognitive benefits, such as improvements in children’s reading ability that are linked to increased auditory discrimination that supports phonological development.
There are also social and psychosocial benefits, as singing in a collective can improve participants’ sense of belonging and of being socially included by engendering a positive sense of community. Benefits are available across the lifespan and are indicated pre-birth in the final months of foetal life. At the other end of the lifespan, singing can bring a stronger and more positive sense of identity in a context where there is often a sense of loss of control due to the challenges of aging. There are also musical and cultural benefits as participants gain skills, knowledge and understanding of the nature and place of music in their lives and the lives of others.
24 39:24 The History of Street Performance - Dr Paul Simpson
A discussion of the history of busking and street music in the City of London: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and...
Drawing on a range of historic sources – including selections from Henry Mayhew's London Labour and the London Poor and Charles Babbage's Passages in the Life of a Philosopher – particular focus will be given to the way in which various residents of the City responded to the ‘street music problem’ of Victorian London. This is by far the most heavily documented period in the history of busking and street music in the City. The street music ‘problem’ emerged in light of the growing middle and literary classes and the disruption the presence such street musicians caused to the quiet tenor of their home-working lives.
The debates that occurred here – which involved notable figures such as Charles Dickens, Charles Leech, and Charles Babbage – resulted in the development of the Street Music Act of 1864 and paved the way for much of the subsequent legislative control of street musicians in the City. The debates about street performances in London in this period shed light on the present-day situation of busking and street music in the City.
25 44:36 Singapore at 50: Oil and Water, Inextricably Mixed - Lord Oxburgh
What lessons should the world learn about resource management from one of the most densely populated cities in the world: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and...
Modern civilization depends on both energy and water. The world is facing crises in the availability of both. Water is needed to produce energy and energy is needed to process and move water. Different countries address their challenges in different ways and with different degrees of urgency – Singapore shows how a small and densely populated island can successfully balance the needs of people and environment
Globally the energy challenge is to meet the needs of a growing world population while burning less fossil fuel. The water challenge is to meet the needs of agriculture, industry and people, while leaving sufficient for the other kinds of life on earth. Lord Oxburgh, previously Chairman of the British House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology and Chairman of Shell UK, is a recipient of Singapore's Honorary Citizen Award.