Resounding Worship: Networks of Musical Devotion in the European Reformations, 1520-1648

Purpose and goal:

This project investigated the imposition, individuation, and intersection of identities in musical saints’ cults celebrated by Lutherans and Catholics. In the first six months, I completed an overview of my primary sources, printed service books, and identified all surviving copies. I started indexing the saints’ cults contained in these books to determine the relationships (if any) between them, and to see how Lutheran celebrations were changing. In addition, I engaged in career development and public outreach.

Expected results and effects:

The aims of the project concern international research networks, and furthering the interactivity, accessibility and production processes of research. I built international networks through collaborations with government-funded projects in Canada and the USA and interacting with the Swedish research community. I engaged in research accessibility through co-organizing a hybrid conference, volunteering to start a reading group, and exploring the contemporary resonances of my research.

Approach and implementation:

The project is formed of three interlocking case studies that each correspond with a research objective and lasts for eight months: imposing devotions and identities; individuating devotions and identities; and intersecting devotions and identities. At the 6-month point, it appeared that the foundational research of Case Study 1 would take slightly longer than expected to complete; however, it was likely that time could be recovered later in the project. Two articles were published and a chapter was co-written in the first stage of the project.