MUS2053 : The Singer, the Song and the Scribe: Ballads in Context (Inactive)
MUS2053 : The Singer, the Song and the Scribe: Ballads in Context (Inactive)
- Inactive for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Miss Emily Portman
- Owning School: Arts & Cultures
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| MUS1012 | Understanding Music History |
| MUS1096 | Traditions of These Islands |
| MUS1014 | Introduction to Popular Music Studies |
Pre Requisite Comment
N/A
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
Co Requisite Comment
N/A
Aims
To introduce student to the English ballad tradition
To help students theorise the repertory
To introduce contexts for studying this repertory
To explore the historical and social contexts in which these musics were first made
Outline Of Syllabus
This module will explore the rich and varied world of traditional ballads across Britain and America, studying key popular songs, performers and researchers in the field. Ballads have much to reveal about the society that they emerged from and by considering their historical contexts we can attempt to understand their shifting meanings and continuing relevance.
We will consider the motivations of notable collectors and the methods used in the transcription, collection and classification of ballads. Plots, characters, styles and structures will be considered via a series of case studies. Through the exploration of themes from love to murder, humour to tragedy, we will consider ballads’ multiple functions, providing escapism, catharsis and popular press.
Learning Outcomes
Intended Knowledge Outcomes
By the end of this module, students will:
• be familiar with the breadth and richness of the English ballad tradition
• be able to distinguish different styles and currents within that tradition
• be able to determine key structural generic and other musical features
Intended Skill Outcomes
Students will be able to classify, critically assess and characterise performance traditions and repertories form the English ballad tradition.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 18 | 2:00 | 36:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 164 | 1:00 | 164:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures will be a mixture of interactive and more formal teaching, and will enable students to query key conceptual challenges of the repertory
Reading Lists
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 2 | A | 100 | N/A |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The portfolio enables students to engage in exploratory critical engagements with the repertory by collating some of their own primary sources materials, and to try these out in smaller discrete assignments, with a larger written assignment at the end of semester 2 (final assignment circa 2500 words, smaller assignments 1500 words total)
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MUS2053's Timetable
Past Exam Papers
- Exam Papers Online : www.ncl.ac.uk/exam.papers/
- MUS2053's past Exam Papers
General Notes
N/A
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The information contained within the Module Catalogue relates to the 2024 academic year.
In accordance with University Terms and Conditions, the University makes all reasonable efforts to deliver the modules as described.
Modules may be amended on an annual basis to take account of changing staff expertise, developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Module information for the 2025/26 entry will be published here in early-April 2025. Queries about information in the Module Catalogue should in the first instance be addressed to your School Office.