Renaissance Men in the Middle Temple

CONFERENCE AND ELIZABETHAN CANDLEMAS REVELS

1^st and 2^nd February, 2013

To be held at Middle Temple Hall and Birkbeck College, London

Registration is now open!  

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To register or for further information go to http://middletemple2013.wordpress.com/

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Confirmed speakers:

Dr Sarah Knight (Leicester University), Dr Subha Mukherji (Cambridge University), Dr Lucy Munro (Keele University), Dr Paul Raffield (Warwick University) and Professor Jessica Winston (Idaho State University)

‘Delight in revels and in banqueting

Wanton discourses, musicke and merie songes’

  

The four Inns of Court were, according to Ben Jonson, ‘the noblest nurseries of humanity’.  All highly influential in terms of their members’ legal, political and artistic roles, the Middle Temple proved a particularly fertile context.  At the end of Elizabeth’s reign especially, the Middle Temple saw many of its members involved in the creation, reception and development of literature and performance.  The Inn was a training ground for men who came to transgress and challenge societal norms, and whose future careers were to influence disparate areas of life, from law and politics to dance and drama.  Famous members of Middle Temple included John Marston, John Ford, John Webster, Edward Sharpham, Richard Martin, John Davies, John Hoskins, Henry Wotton, Thomas Overbury, Benjamin Rudyerd, Charles Best and John Manningham.

Traditionally a night of celebration, the second day is Candlemas, and the conference will conclude with our own Revels, including dinner and entertainment in Middle Temple Hall.  There will be a medley of music, dance and drama inspired by some of the Renaissance Men of the Middle Temple featured in the conference, with performers in historical costume, including The Nonsuch Dancers. The evening event is also open to those not attending the conference.

See http://middletemple2013.wordpress.com/ or email one of the conference organizers:

Jackie Watson – jwatso05@mail.bbk.ac.uk and

Darren Royston - droyst01@mail.bbk.ac.uk

Conference hosted by the London Renaissance Seminar

The London Renaissance Seminar meets regularly at Birkbeck College, London,

holding seminars, events and conferences.

See www.bbk.ac.uk/english/our-research/research_seminars/lrs or contact s.wiseman@bbk.ac.uk