Research News Last updated 18 September
A groundbreaking new app developed by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) is breathing fresh life into Coventry’s rich musical past.
Aural Histories: Coventry takes users on a journey through time, using stunning virtual reconstructions and historically informed performances to recreate how music would have sounded in the city between 1451 and 1642.
Launched at Trinity House on 11 July, the app is the result of a three-year research project led by Jamie Savan, Professor of Performance-led Research in Music at the RBC.
“This project is about adding to the broader knowledge of Coventry’s heritage by providing a better understanding of its musical past,” said Professor Savan.
“Through the app, we have been able to bring the city’s historical venues to life once more, through sound."
Using state-of-the-art virtual reality and audio techniques, the project team recorded live performances in reconstructed digital models of historic Coventry venues.
These included the iconic St Michael’s Cathedral, which was destroyed by the blitz, Holy Trinity Church, and St Mary’s Guildhall.
The choir at Holy Trinity Church recorded music for the app, and sang in live performances with prestigious groups like His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornetts, and the Binchois Consort, as well as students from RBC.
“The city is known to have been an important and wealthy centre during the Middle Ages and Early Modern era, yet relatively little was understood about its musical activities, until now,” said Alexander Norman, Director of Music at Holy Trinity Church.
“The app and this project changes that.”
The app features performances on rare period instruments – such as the cornett and shawm – some of which have not been heard in these spaces for centuries.
“This has been a fantastic opportunity for our resident choir - especially for the children and young people - who would not normally get the chance to sing with historical instruments and a professional consort, or take part in a studio recording,” added Norman.
“Now, visitors can stand in these historic spaces and experience them as they might have sounded hundreds of years ago. For Coventry’s cultural life, that’s really special.”
Professor Savan says the app has global potential.
“Now we’ve refined the process of recreating historical acoustics, we can apply this method to other lost venues - in Coventry and across the world,” he said.
Aural Histories: Coventry is available for Android and iOS devices.