This thesis explores the way Dominicans friars and nuns have sung – or are supposed to have sung! – their liturgy from the 13th century to the present day. Specifically, I am preparing a critical edition of the 'Regulae Cantus' (Rules of the Chant) which lay out the normal melodies to be used (the tonary) and explain the practical problems of rhythm, Latin accentuation and community singing.
I am interested in how these rules changed or remained stable over time, focusing on pivotal periods: the liturgical unification project of Humbert of Romans (d. 1277); the early printed books of the Order around the time of the Council of Trent and its aftermath (1545-1610); the nineteenth-century revival of Dominican chant by Pie Bernard and his successors (alongside the Solesmes Benedictines); and finally the Order's decision in the 1960s to accommodate its rules to Roman/Benedictine chant.
I am asking questions about tradition and authority in the Dominican Order, the actual reception and implementation of singing norms, uniformity and diversity, the Observance/Reform movements, and pressures for or against Romanisation. Particular areas to explore include the role of a house cantor and community dynamics, the training of novices to sing, and the singing differences between the friars and the nuns of the Order.
The thesis is being supervised by Professor Christian Leitmeir (Music) and Professor Lesley Smith (History).
