Sacred Songs: Religion, Spirituality and the Divine in Popular Music Culture

The University of Central Lancashire, the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance and the University of Chichester are pleased to invite submissions of proposals for the symposium The Sacred in Popular Music that will take place at The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance on Thursday 30^th July 2015.

The conference committee invites all academics and university professionals, composers, musicologists and practitioners with a special interest in the relationship between the sacred and popular music to submit proposals related specifically to this issue.

We are especially interested in the variety of approaches to the subject, and these may include, but not restricted by:

• Role of religion in lives of artists within the popular music genre
• The incorporation of popular music in sacred ceremonies
• Religious metaphor in popular music
• Incorporation of religion within popular music practice
• Fandom as a form of worship
• Divinity and rock stardom (rock stars’ homes as sites of pilgrimage, etc)
• Pop memorabilia as holy relics

Presentations may consist of individual papers (20 minutes) and lecture-recitals (40 minutes).

Those interested are encouraged to send proposals up to 500 words (excluding musical examples) via email to Georgina Gregory or Mike Dines at [email protected] and [email protected]. Please include one page of biography.

In addition, proposals should also include the following details:

• Full title of the paper
• Full name, contact details (email address, telephone number, postal address), and institutional affiliation (if any)
• Audio/visual requirements

The deadline for receipt of proposals is June 1^st 2015. The committee’s decision will be announced by the beginning of July at the latest.