Hearing the Past: St Mary's Abbey Reconstructed

Stephen Oxnard, Dr Damian Murphy, Dr Jude Brereton, Professor Ambrose Field, Dr Helena Daffern, Professor Thomas Krauss, Amelia Gully, Lewis Thresh

25 September 2015
6.10pm-6.30pm
King's Manor, K159 (map)
FREE admission
No booking required
No wheelchair access

Event details

Professor Ambrose Field, Professor Thomas Krauss, Dr Helena Daffern and Amelia Gully from the Univeristy of York will explain the research behind the YorNight finale live outdoor concert which will take place in the atmospheric ruins of St Mary's Abbey, Museum Gardens.

Dating from 1088, St Mary’s Abbey was one of the largest Benedictine establishments in the north of England. Yet since its dissolution in 1540, it has declined into ruin. A cross-disciplinary team from the University of York are bringing the space back to life, by re-constructing the acoustics and sounds of the building. A specially commissioned piece of new music, Architexture Two, from composer Ambrose Field, will be performed in the simulated acoustic of the venue by members of the Ebor Singers. Field’s work was written taking specific account of the reverberation that St Mary’s would have, if it were still standing today. Specially commissioned graphics and lighting have been developed for the event by Thomas Krauss, Professor of Photonics, and Lewis Thresh to mark the Year of Light celebrations.

This event is part-supported by the HEFCE Higher Education Innovation Fund.