The Society for Seventeenth-Century Music

The Society for Seventeenth-Century Music

2019 Annual Meeting

The Society for Seventeenth-Century Music will hold its Twenty-Seventh Annual Conference from Thursday through Sunday, 4-7 April 2019, in Durham, North Carolina, hosted by Duke University.

Conference Menu

Welcome to Durham, North Carolina!

Durham forms part of the metropolitan conglomeration known as the Triangle, also encompassing Raleigh, Chapel Hill and a number of smaller communities, with a total population approaching 2.2 million. Its three vertices each host a major research university, and the Triangle encloses a notable research park, which explains why the area also is referred to as “the Research Triangle.” Each of the three towns has a distinct character. Raleigh (pop. c. 500,000) the state capital, is focused on government and busines. It is the home of North Carolina State University (c. 35,000 students), especially distinguished in science and engineering. Chapel Hill (pop. c. 60,00) is dominated by the historic campus of the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill (c. 30,000 students). UNC-CH makes a strong case for being the earliest public university in the country, and in any case, is the only public university that was already holding classes in the eighteenth century. Its musicology program is one of the oldest in the US and has a distinguished tradition in the esoteric field of seventeenth-century music. And then there is Durham (pop. c. 270,000), home of Duke University (c. 16,000 students), and definitely the new kid on the triangular block.

Durham started in the middle of the nineteenth century as a railroad stop for refueling wood and water. It was originally named Durham Station in honor of Bartlett S. Durham who donated the land for the depot. The local tobacco industry led to a growing population and to the town’s incorporation as Durham, whose 150th anniversary will be celebrated this year. The Duke family, through their American Tobacco Company, became leaders of this industry, although eventually they diverted their interests to electric power generation, establishing Duke Power (now Duke Energy). The sweet smell of fresh tobacco no longer hangs over Durham–the industry left the town years ago, but its legacy is still very much visible in the downtown “Historic District,” in the form of prominent red-brick structures that at one time served as factories, offices and warehouses, and that now house funky and upscale restaurants, music clubs, art galleries, and yuppie residences.

In the 1920s the Duke family’s philanthropic pursuits led to the transformation of Trinity College––founded back in 1838––to a major university named after its benefactors. The original campus, built on the west side of the town but now known as East Campus, was joined by a much larger campus about a mile further west in a heavily forested area, Duke’s West Campus. The two campuses are distinct in their architecture. East Campus was constructed in Georgian style, and is dominated by the dome of the “Palladian” Baldwin Auditorium, venue for our Friday night concert. West Campus is “Collegiate-Gothic,”; it is dominated by its imposing chapel with a 210-feet tower. It is the venue for the Thursday night organ recital, featuring a 17th-century Italian style Brombaugh meantone organ and a massive 18th-century Dutch style Flentrop. Some of the newer structures on both campuses are, however, noteworthy examples of more contemporary architecture. On East these include the Mary Duke Biddle Music Building, designed by Edward Durell Stone (architect of Washington’s Kennedy Center and of New Yorks’s Radio city Music Hall and MoMA). It is home of the Music Department, the Music Library, and the Duke Musical Instrument Collection, and will be the venue for the Thursday’s reception. West Campus features the brand-new Rubenstein Art Center, an innovative glass and steel edifice, and adjacent to it, the Nasher Museum of Art, a structure with an unusual configuration, well worth a visit, and with a fabulous café-restaurant.

Durham also is the home of North Carolina Central University, one of the leading HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in the country, with a notable graduate jazz program (including Durham resident Branford Marsalis on its faculty). It is part of a thriving African-American community, with banking and insurance companies at one time centered on “Black Wall Street” in Durham’s Historical District.

Weather in Durham in early April should be pleasant, with an average high of 68; no chance of snow, but do bring an umbrella, just in case…

The Durham Hilton Garden Inn is situated at a most convenient location, between the two campuses. It is also just a couple blocks from Durham’s Ninth Street lined with interesting shops (including a great independent bookstore) and eating establishments of all kinds and ethnicities. Our recommended route to Thursday’s reception will take you along several blocks of this street, so you will have a chance to note several potential places for meals and snacks.

Other things to see on campus…

For those who may have an interest in Duke’s extensive library holdings and special collections, the Music Library, Lilly Library (East Campus), and Rubenstein Library (West Campus) are well worth a visit. Those who might be interested in a tour of the Music Library are encouraged to contact the Music Librarian, Laura Williams to make arrangements.

While sipping wine at the opening reception, be sure to have a look at the Duke University Musical Instrument Collections in the upper and lower lobby of the Biddle Music Building. Many of our historical keyboards from the 18th to 20th centuries are playable instruments and anyone interested in having a closer look can contact Roseen Giles.

Other sites to see on campus include the Nasher Museum of Art and the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Also check out Duke Performances for information on other spectacular concerts and events on campus and CVNC (Classical Voice North Carolina) for other cultural events in the area.