Newcastle University

Introduction

Bethany Lowe joined the Newcastle music department in September 2002, and since then has worked extensively within the department's music analysis strand, as well as teaching options in western art music and conducting. She is the Head of Undergraduate Studies in Music, Chair of Undergraduate Board of Studies and Core Board of Studies, and supports the administration of the undergraduate examinations process.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Head of Undergraduate Studies (Sept 2011-   )
• Chair of Undergraduate Board of Studies (Sept 2011-  )
  
• Degree Programme Director of BA Music (Sept 2008-Aug 2011)
• Pastoral super-tutor (Sept 2007-Aug 2011)
• Examinations Convenor (Sept 2006-March 2012)

Qualifications

• BA(Hons) in Music, first class: Magdalen College, Oxford (1990-93)
• ARCM(PG) in Orchestral Conducting: Royal College of Music, London (1993-94)
• MMus in Music Theory and Analysis: Kings College, London (1994-95)
• PhD entitled 'Performance, Analysis and Interpretation in Sibelius's Fifth Symphony': University of Southampton (1995-2000). Investigated the connections between analysis and performance and examined structural issues in 41 recordings of Sibelius's Fifth Symphony (see mto.societymusictheory.org/ dissertation index).

Previous Positions

Bethany previously taught at University College Scarborough (1998-99), Magdalen College Oxford (2000), and the Welsh College of Music and Drama (2000-02).

Research Interests

Jean Sibelius, the British Symphony, analytical and theoretical issues, the analysis of performance, sleeve notes / programme notes; music and consciousness, Buddhist theory, overtone singing.

Current Work

'Opposition, correlation, and collaboration: the programme notes from recordings of Sibelius's Fifth Symphony'. In redrafting (2012).

'The aesthetics of purity: the history, reception, technique, and musical usage of overtone singing in western spiritual circles'. In research (2013). 

Future Research

Project on self-referential songs (with Freya Jarman-Ivens) (2014).

Esteem Indicators

Bethany was Assistant Editor for the journal Music Analysis during 2002-05, and the Issue Editor for volume 24/iii (October 2005).

Undergraduate Teaching

• Conducting (level 2/3 option)
• Romanticism (level 2/3 option)
• The Classical Style (level 2/3 option)
• Counterpoint and Voice-Leading (level 1)
• Major and Minor Project in Analysis (level 3 specialist study)

Postgraduate Teaching

Main supervisor, PhD, Musical Timing in Early-Twentieth Century Violin Playing (Edward Cross, 2007-2012)

Secondary supervisor, PhD, Englishness and Otherness: Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (Sean McMenamin, 2011- )

MA/MMus dissertation and analytical project supervision

Internal examiner, PhD, Towards Hermeticist Grammars of Music (Johann Hasler, 2010)

Other Expertise

Conducting orchestras, choirs, musicals, and new music, including:

• University of Newcastle Symphony Orchestra, 2003-05 and 2008-10
• University of Newcastle Choir, 2002-2003
• University of Newcastle New Music Group, 2002  

You can see pictures of Bethany in action at http://www.ncl.ac.uk/sacs/music/people/ and http://www.ncl.ac.uk/sacs/music/performance/.

• Lowe BL. Analysing Performances of Sibelius's Fifth Symphony: The "One Movement or Two" Debate and the Plurality of the Music Object. Music Analysis 2012, 30(ii-iii).
• Lowe BL. Dangerous Dharma, Death, and Depression: The Importance of ‘Right View’ for Practising Contemplation in Western Buddhist Traditions. In: Buddhist Philosophy and Meditation Practies. 2012, Thailand. In Press.
• Lowe B. The aesthetics of purity: the history, reception, technique, and musical usage of overtone singing in western spiritual circles. 2013. In Preparation.
• Lowe BL. 'In the heard, only the heard': music, consciousness, and Buddhism. In: Clarke, D.I., Clarke, E, ed. Music and Consciousness: Philosophical, Psychological, and Cultural Perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011, pp.111-136.
• Lowe B. The programme notes from recordings of Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony: opposition, correlation, and collaboration. 2012. In Preparation.
• Lowe BL. Different kinds of fidelity: interpreting Sibelius on record. In: Daniel M. Grimley, ed. The Cambridge Companion to Sibelius. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004, pp. 219-228.
• Lowe BL. On the Relationship between Analysis and Performance: The Mediatory Role of the Interpretation. Indiana Theory Review 2003, 24, 47-94.
• Lowe BL. The Blind Men and the Elephant? Formal Analogy as Metaphor in British Sibelius Studies, 1935-1965. In: Matti Huttunen, Kari Kilpeläinen and Veijo Murtomäki, ed. Sibelius Forum II: Proceedings from The Third International Jean Sibelius Conference, Helsinki December 7-10, 2000. Helsinki: Sibelius Academy, Department of Composition and Music Theory, 2003, pp. 316-327.
• Lowe BL. "Can't Sing, Can Dance a Little"? A Performance Analysis of Fred Astaire's Vocal Style. In: Fifth European Music Analysis Conference. 2002, University of Bristol.
• Lowe BL. Cumulative Index: Work Published in Music Analysis 1982-2001 (Vols. 1-20). Music Analysis, Special Issue 2002, 21(s1), 37-55.
• Lowe BL. Issues in Analysing the Timing of Recordings. In: 'Analysing Recordings', SMA Study Day. 2002, University of Sheffield.
• Lowe B. Work published in Music Analysis 1982-2001 (vols 1-20) - A bibliography. Musical Analysis 2002. 21(s1), 37-55.