118th Distinguished Research Lecture: Rebecca Maloy
Constructing Sanctity Through Sound in Early Medieval Iberia
Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 5–6 p.m.Ìý
Reception to follow
Grusin Music Hall
Img Music Building,ÌýÂ鶹ÊÓƵ
1020 18th Street, Boulder, COÌý
The multifaceted roles of the saints in medieval Europe have long been recognized: they were intercessors, exemplars, companions, healers and miracle workers. Far less is understood, however, about the how saints were constructed and venerated on the Iberian Peninsula. Between the seventh and 11th centuries, devotion to the saints was structured by rituals of great textual richness and musical beauty, known as the Old Hispanic (or Mozarabic) rite. Examining its texts and melodies in relation to late antique theories of the senses, Maloy will show how they functioned to establish saintly authority, construct ideals of sanctity, and shape a multisensory, uniquely Iberian experience.Ìý
Rebecca Maloy, professor of musicology and Erismann Faculty Fellow, also serves as director of the Center for Medieval and Early Modern Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Maloy specializes in the liturgy and chant of the early Middle Ages. She is the author, most recently, ofÌýSongs of Sacrifice: Chant, Identity and Christian Formation in Early Medieval IberiaÌý(2020).ÌýShe currently collaborates on the multidisciplinary projectÌýDoctrine, DevotionÌýand Cultural Expression in the Cults of Medieval Iberian Saints,Ìýfunded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council in the United Kingdom. Other recent work has been funded by the American Council of Learned Societies, the European Research Council and the Institute for Advanced Study.
In her teaching and mentoring, Professor Maloy’s acumen and guidance have shaped the education and careers of numerous students and junior scholars.