Professor Mary Caldwell's first book, Devotional Refrains in Medieval Latin Song has been released by Cambridge University Press. In this book, Caldwell explores the nature of refrains and what they do in medieval song, concentrating on the musical practices of religious communities attached to churches, abbeys, and schools. The first book to grapple with refrains outside of vernacular contexts in medieval Europe, Devotional Refrains brings together over 400 Latin refrain songs and examines this substantial yet understudied repertoire from new methodological and analytical perspectives. By means of interpretive frameworks focused on time and temporality, performance (including dance), memory, inscription, and language, each chapter offers an original perspective on how and why Latin refrains and refrain songs were created, transmitted, and performed.
For more information please visit fifteeneightyfour and the Cambridge University Press websites.