Music and the Idea of the North

Northern identities--particularly when constructed as foils to the 'the South' in different regions, cultures and communities--have been the focus of considerable attention in recent years among cultural historians and commentators, several of whom are represented in this collection. Yet despite its prominence in the discourse of north-south relations, the role of music in producing and articulating notions of northernness has not been discussed in detail. This collection represents...
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Northern identities--particularly when constructed as foils to the 'the South' in different regions, cultures and communities--have been the focus of considerable attention in recent years among cultural historians and commentators, several of whom are represented in this collection. Yet despite its prominence in the discourse of north-south relations, the role of music in producing and articulating notions of northernness has not been discussed in detail. This collection represents the first dedicated exploration of this theme, drawing on northern English, Scottish, Canadian, and Scandinavian identities, as well as north-south dynamics in a European context, to uncover connections and contradictions in the musical experience and expression of northernness across the globe. Rugged yet fragile, communal yet solitary, radical yet visionary, the real and imaginary spaces of the north have inspired many different musical responses, perhaps the most enigmatic coming from pianist Glenn Gould in his radio documentary The Idea of North (CBC,1967): 'I've read about it, written about it, and even pulled up my parka once and gone there. Yet like all but a very few Canadians I've had no real experience of the North. I've remained, of necessity, an outsider. And the North has remained for me, a convenient place to dream about, spin tall tales about, and, in the end, avoid.'