Reasons to Sing’: Singing, spirituality, and the search for meaning. A Multidisciplinary Conference.
Birmingham, UK
Organization: University of Birmimgham
This conference at the University of Birmingham (UK), examines the experience of singing and song and its connection to spirituality and/or meaning making throughout human history. Why does singing give life meaning for so many people? What is the quality of the relationship between singing and the human spirit (loosely defined)? How does it manifest in our behaviours and practices?
We welcome and encourage papers from any disciplinary background, including but not limited to historical perspectives (incl. musicology), the social sciences, musical performance, philology, medicine (e.g. music therapy, neuroscience), philosophy, theology, science and religion, social policy, linguistics, or any relevant industry experience.
Questions for exploration include but are not limited to:
The physiological, philosophical, or historical particularities of the human voice, including singing and embodiment
Sacred music and spirituality in secular society
Ethnographic investigations into singing and spirituality or meaning making more broadly
Singing, language, and meaning-making historically or today
Singing and ‘wellness’ or ‘spirituality’, broadly defined
Western sacred music and multiculturalism
Group music making and community
‘Singing helps people and communities thrive’ – now what? Thoughts surrounding policy, advocacy, and strategy
Understanding singing’s social-spiritual mechanisms
Singing as a bridge between materiality and spirituality
Deadline for submission of abstracts is 15 April 2026
To submit a 20-minute paper or topic for consideration, please email a short biography and a 250-word abstract to Ann Evans (a.p.evans@bham.ac.uk)
Questions? Please contact Katie Bank (k.n.bank@bham.ac.uk) and Rebekah Wallace (r.a.wallace@bham.ac.uk)
https://www.canbeautysavetheworld.com/bham-conf
Ann Evans