Andrew Shenton
Andrew Shenton is a scholar, prize-winning author, performer and educator based in Boston, Massachusetts. Born in England, his first professional music training was at The Royal College of Music in London, where he studied under a scholarship from The Royal College of Organists. While at the RCM he read for a B.Mus. degree at London University and was an organ scholar at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Andrew Shenton moved to the US to study for a Master’s degree at the Institute for Sacred Music, Worship and the Arts at Yale University and then for a Ph.D. in musicology at Harvard University.
Moving freely between musicology and ethnomusicology Shenton’s work is best subsumed under the heading ‘music and transcendence.’ This is demonstrated, for example, by his recent and ongoing work in popular music, which includes an essay that analyses the acoustic ecology of rave music as a way of negotiating an ecstatic experience (Fordham University Press, 2014), and lectures and writing on how hip-hop has become a complex soundscape that signals religious identity, notably for Christians and Muslims. A subsidiary to this work is his interest in how sound studies deal with issues of cognition, and the physical and mental elements of transformation and transcendence. His pioneering work on Olivier Messiaen includes a monograph Olivier Messiaen’s System of Signs (Ashgate, 2008), which won the 2010 Miller Book Award; and a collection of essays which he edited entitled Messiaen the Theologian (Ashgate, 2010). More recently his work on Arvo Pärt includes several lectures and recitals, and publications such as The Cambridge Companion to Arvo Pärt (CUP, 2012), which he edited.
Dr. Shenton has a Master’s degree in organ performance from Yale, and holds the Fellowship diploma of the Royal College of Organists. He has given recitals in such venues as King’s College, Cambridge, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue (New York debut), and Washington National Cathedral. He has toured extensively in Europe and the US as a conductor, recitalist and clinician, and his three solo organ recordings have received international acclaim. He has given more than sixty premieres by composers such as Geoffrey Burgon, Joe Utterback, John Tavener, Judith Weir.
Dr. Shenton is Artistic Director of Vox Futura. At Boston University, Dr. Shenton holds appointments in the School of Theology, School of Music (College of Fine Arts) and College of Arts and Sciences. He is a Professor of Music, the James R. Houghton Scholar of Sacred Music, Director of the Master of Sacred Music program, Director of the Boston University Messiaen Project [BUMP] and the Theology and Arts Initiative [RAI].
Andrew Shenton moved to the US to study for a Master’s degree at the Institute for Sacred Music, Worship and the Arts at Yale University and then for a Ph.D. in musicology at Harvard University.
Moving freely between musicology and ethnomusicology Shenton’s work is best subsumed under the heading ‘music and transcendence.’ This is demonstrated, for example, by his recent and ongoing work in popular music, which includes an essay that analyses the acoustic ecology of rave music as a way of negotiating an ecstatic experience (Fordham University Press, 2014), and lectures and writing on how hip-hop has become a complex soundscape that signals religious identity, notably for Christians and Muslims. A subsidiary to this work is his interest in how sound studies deal with issues of cognition, and the physical and mental elements of transformation and transcendence. His pioneering work on Olivier Messiaen includes a monograph Olivier Messiaen’s System of Signs (Ashgate, 2008), which won the 2010 Miller Book Award; and a collection of essays which he edited entitled Messiaen the Theologian (Ashgate, 2010). More recently his work on Arvo Pärt includes several lectures and recitals, and publications such as The Cambridge Companion to Arvo Pärt (CUP, 2012), which he edited.
Dr. Shenton has a Master’s degree in organ performance from Yale, and holds the Fellowship diploma of the Royal College of Organists. He has given recitals in such venues as King’s College, Cambridge, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue (New York debut), and Washington National Cathedral. He has toured extensively in Europe and the US as a conductor, recitalist and clinician, and his three solo organ recordings have received international acclaim. He has given more than sixty premieres by composers such as Geoffrey Burgon, Joe Utterback, John Tavener, Judith Weir.
Dr. Shenton is Artistic Director of Vox Futura. At Boston University, Dr. Shenton holds appointments in the School of Theology, School of Music (College of Fine Arts) and College of Arts and Sciences. He is a Professor of Music, the James R. Houghton Scholar of Sacred Music, Director of the Master of Sacred Music program, Director of the Boston University Messiaen Project [BUMP] and the Theology and Arts Initiative [RAI].
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Papers by Andrew Shenton
I establish it as a landmark piece in Part's developmental history by virtue of the mastery of technique; in which the composer exhibits more musical control over the tintinnabuli processes he invented than before. I also suggest that Pärt’s “Magnificat” exemplifies the telos for his music, a goal that is nothing short of union with God. To this end, using semiotician Umberto Eco’s notion of "expression plane" and "content-plane," I present a textual analysis of the work concentrating on the extra musical processes at work, and I offer an exegesis of the piece demonstrating that it is part of the hesychast tradition (one in which practitioners seek divine quietness through contemplation of God). Finally, I broaden the project to describe this piece as one where Pärt is clearly evangelizing Christian theology not just to the initiated, but to a much wider and more diverse audience, and suggest that the key to understanding the religious context is through several Christian concepts notably found in the Orthodox tradition.
Traité in general and this chapter in particular.
Introducing Messiaen the Theologian
Andrew Shenton
Part One Messiaen the theologian
1 Religious literature in Messiaen’s personal library
Yves Balmer
2 Messiaen as preacher and evangelist in the context of European modernism
Peter Bannister
3 Messiaen’s ‘saintly naïveté’
Sander van Maas
Part Two Messiaen’s relationship with theologians
4 Olivier Messiaen and Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger: two views of the liturgical reform according to the Second Vatican Council
Karin Heller
5 Messiaen’s relationship to Jacques Maritain’s musical circle and neo-Thomism
Douglas Shadle
6 Messiaen and Aquinas
Vincent P. Benitez
Part Three Messiaen, poets and theological themes
7 Dante as guide to Messiaen’s Gothic spirituality
Robert Fallon
8 Five quartets: the search for the still point of the turning world in the war works of T. S. Eliot and Olivier Messiaen
Andrew Shenton
since it more accurately describes the essence of the man and his music.
What does the music actually do to the text? How does it change or
transform it? The answer is twofold: first, music provides increased
expressivity, and second, it seeks to interpret the text. It is difficult to
express in words the additional depth of emotion achieved by adding
music to any text, let alone a story that concerns cruelty and death
and is directly related to religious beliefs. It is even harder to describe
how a composer might seek to contribute to our understanding
of this story by highlighting certain words, reordering the events,
or even by adding innovative elements to the traditional narrative.
Nonetheless, the developmental history of musical settings of the
passion is directly concerned with increased expressivity and is
intimately linked with developments in musical style. Study of musical settings requires reference to manuscript and source studies,
reception history, performance practice, cultural studies, and to
changing theological concerns, all of which demonstrate how
composers have sought to make the death of Jesus engaging to their
audiences.
performer or teacher was continued posthumously only by his or her pupils
in an oral (and aural) tradition, and in written sources. By preserving the
composer's own performance in an audible form which can be recalled at any time and in any place, we have the equivalent, albeit mediated, of a direct experience with the composer. What we need to decide is how much
credence we should give to this information in relation to the score and
the other data used to prepare a performance.
This essay discuses the role of the score and recording in musicological research. It then examines some of the recordings in which Messiaen performs his own music or has had direct or indirect influence on
the performance of others, and suggests that these recordings are an invaluable aid to interpretation. Messiaen's own recordings point to a 'manner of realization' for his music, in effect a performance practice (or perhaps better a performance tradition), which will be an axiomatic reference point for future interpretations.
and cognitive attributes have, since the late 1980s, engendered new modes
of listening. The ordering of sound and the construction of electronic
soundscapes is in a complex interface with cultural experiences such as
clubbing, dancing, and drug taking. This has led to the development of
electroacoustic musicology and has had a profound impact on the way we
frame the question, what is listening? EDM also pushes to the forefront
the essential question, why are we listening?
This essay explores these two questions by examining four principal
features of the genre: (1) the unique characteristics of EDM, especially
concerning its composition and performance; (2) the listening environment,
particularly the institution of a “safe space” (a so-called temporary
autonomous zone); (3) how chemical sensory alteration through the use of
illegal drugs changes the listening experience; and (4) the reasons for participation in EDM events, in particular how listeners seek an ecstatic experience.
Because EDM is such a diverse field, this essay moves from general
remarks about characteristics of the genre to specifics of the teknival (a portmanteau of techno and festival), a form of EDM that is the epitome of a
certain esoteric listening.
Books by Andrew Shenton
in the world, Arvo Pärt is a musical and cultural phenomenon. This book is an essential resource for anyone interested in his extraordinarily innovative and uniquely appealing music. Andrew Shenton surveys the full scope of Pärt’s oeuvre, providing context and chronological continuity while concentrating in particular on his text-based music, as well as analyzing and describing individual pieces and techniques, including tintinnabulation. The book also explores the spiritual and theological contexts of Pärt’s creativity and the challenges of performing his work. This volume is the definitive guide for readers looking to engage with the form, content, and context of Pärt’s compositions, as Shenton situates Pärt in the narrative of metamodernism and suggests new ways of understanding this unique and
beautiful music.
I establish it as a landmark piece in Part's developmental history by virtue of the mastery of technique; in which the composer exhibits more musical control over the tintinnabuli processes he invented than before. I also suggest that Pärt’s “Magnificat” exemplifies the telos for his music, a goal that is nothing short of union with God. To this end, using semiotician Umberto Eco’s notion of "expression plane" and "content-plane," I present a textual analysis of the work concentrating on the extra musical processes at work, and I offer an exegesis of the piece demonstrating that it is part of the hesychast tradition (one in which practitioners seek divine quietness through contemplation of God). Finally, I broaden the project to describe this piece as one where Pärt is clearly evangelizing Christian theology not just to the initiated, but to a much wider and more diverse audience, and suggest that the key to understanding the religious context is through several Christian concepts notably found in the Orthodox tradition.
Traité in general and this chapter in particular.
Introducing Messiaen the Theologian
Andrew Shenton
Part One Messiaen the theologian
1 Religious literature in Messiaen’s personal library
Yves Balmer
2 Messiaen as preacher and evangelist in the context of European modernism
Peter Bannister
3 Messiaen’s ‘saintly naïveté’
Sander van Maas
Part Two Messiaen’s relationship with theologians
4 Olivier Messiaen and Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger: two views of the liturgical reform according to the Second Vatican Council
Karin Heller
5 Messiaen’s relationship to Jacques Maritain’s musical circle and neo-Thomism
Douglas Shadle
6 Messiaen and Aquinas
Vincent P. Benitez
Part Three Messiaen, poets and theological themes
7 Dante as guide to Messiaen’s Gothic spirituality
Robert Fallon
8 Five quartets: the search for the still point of the turning world in the war works of T. S. Eliot and Olivier Messiaen
Andrew Shenton
since it more accurately describes the essence of the man and his music.
What does the music actually do to the text? How does it change or
transform it? The answer is twofold: first, music provides increased
expressivity, and second, it seeks to interpret the text. It is difficult to
express in words the additional depth of emotion achieved by adding
music to any text, let alone a story that concerns cruelty and death
and is directly related to religious beliefs. It is even harder to describe
how a composer might seek to contribute to our understanding
of this story by highlighting certain words, reordering the events,
or even by adding innovative elements to the traditional narrative.
Nonetheless, the developmental history of musical settings of the
passion is directly concerned with increased expressivity and is
intimately linked with developments in musical style. Study of musical settings requires reference to manuscript and source studies,
reception history, performance practice, cultural studies, and to
changing theological concerns, all of which demonstrate how
composers have sought to make the death of Jesus engaging to their
audiences.
performer or teacher was continued posthumously only by his or her pupils
in an oral (and aural) tradition, and in written sources. By preserving the
composer's own performance in an audible form which can be recalled at any time and in any place, we have the equivalent, albeit mediated, of a direct experience with the composer. What we need to decide is how much
credence we should give to this information in relation to the score and
the other data used to prepare a performance.
This essay discuses the role of the score and recording in musicological research. It then examines some of the recordings in which Messiaen performs his own music or has had direct or indirect influence on
the performance of others, and suggests that these recordings are an invaluable aid to interpretation. Messiaen's own recordings point to a 'manner of realization' for his music, in effect a performance practice (or perhaps better a performance tradition), which will be an axiomatic reference point for future interpretations.
and cognitive attributes have, since the late 1980s, engendered new modes
of listening. The ordering of sound and the construction of electronic
soundscapes is in a complex interface with cultural experiences such as
clubbing, dancing, and drug taking. This has led to the development of
electroacoustic musicology and has had a profound impact on the way we
frame the question, what is listening? EDM also pushes to the forefront
the essential question, why are we listening?
This essay explores these two questions by examining four principal
features of the genre: (1) the unique characteristics of EDM, especially
concerning its composition and performance; (2) the listening environment,
particularly the institution of a “safe space” (a so-called temporary
autonomous zone); (3) how chemical sensory alteration through the use of
illegal drugs changes the listening experience; and (4) the reasons for participation in EDM events, in particular how listeners seek an ecstatic experience.
Because EDM is such a diverse field, this essay moves from general
remarks about characteristics of the genre to specifics of the teknival (a portmanteau of techno and festival), a form of EDM that is the epitome of a
certain esoteric listening.
in the world, Arvo Pärt is a musical and cultural phenomenon. This book is an essential resource for anyone interested in his extraordinarily innovative and uniquely appealing music. Andrew Shenton surveys the full scope of Pärt’s oeuvre, providing context and chronological continuity while concentrating in particular on his text-based music, as well as analyzing and describing individual pieces and techniques, including tintinnabulation. The book also explores the spiritual and theological contexts of Pärt’s creativity and the challenges of performing his work. This volume is the definitive guide for readers looking to engage with the form, content, and context of Pärt’s compositions, as Shenton situates Pärt in the narrative of metamodernism and suggests new ways of understanding this unique and
beautiful music.