Monday 18 October 2021 at 8pm - 9pm

Port Talk with Professor Armand D'Angour - What did ancient Greek music sound like?

Churchill Room

Did Ancient Greeks listen to music? What did it sound like? 

Do join us in this journey in the past with Professor D'Angour!

He will explain what is known about ancient Greek music. Scholars have worked out how the ancient notation worked and how it can be interpreted to produce musical sound that is as fresh and exciting as it was to the Greeks during the first millenniums BC and AD. The talk will be illustrated with images from ancient times and video clips that explain how ancient music can be compared to modern traditions.

Professor D'Angour pursued careers as a cellist and businessman before becoming a Tutor in Classics at Jesus College in 2000. In addition to his monograph The Greeks and the New (CUP 2011), Profesor D'Angour is the author of articles and chapters on the language, literature, psychology and culture of ancient Greece. In 2013-14 he was awarded a British Academy Fellowship to undertake research into ancient Greek music, and in 2017 was awarded a Vice Chancellor’s Prize for Public Engagement with Research. Professor D'Angour has since co-edited with Tom Phillips Music, Text, and Culture in Ancient Greece (OUP 2018), and in addition to numerous broadcasts on radio and television, a short film on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hOK7bU0S1Y) has reached over 650,000 views since its publication in December 2017. His book Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher was published in April 2019, and How to Innovate: An Ancient Guide to Creating Change is due from Princeton University Press in 2021.