The Practice of Editing Music: History, Challenges and New Directions (1500-1900)

This three-day symposium, featuring academic papers, lecture-recitals and performances, situates the discipline of music editing in its historical context whilst examining how editors of music address complex challenges across varied repertoires, including those posed and resolved by digital technologies. RBC is increasingly recognised as a significant centre for scholars working on critical and performing editions of music from the past 500 years.

This event honours RBC's own Professor Graham Sadler, a leading authority on French music of music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the discipline of music editing.  For more information, please see: Practice of editing music - call for papers, or contact Adrian Powney: (Adrian.Powney@bcu.ac.uk/ PracticeofEditing@bcu.ac.uk).

Booking 

Booking is now open.  Below you can find details of the symposium including the full schedule, which includes papers and lecture recitals on a range of editing topics including but not limited to: aspects of the history of critical editing, Urtext approaches to editing, the parallels between editing texts and music; the distinctions between performing and critical editions, and the challenges concerning the type and volume of contextual information to include in prefatory material; methods for determining the degree of editorial intervention required in an edition, the challenge(s) of creating ‘an’ edition where multiple sources of a work exist or where reconstruction is required, and the future of critical editing using digital technologies.  

Symposium Schedule: https://issuu.com/peterbcu/docs/practice_of_editing_-_schedule 

Booking options are available for individual days (which include lunch and refreshments) as well as for the whole event.  Bookings that include Friday 30 October 2026 include lunch and refreshments as well as entry to the Pre-Concert Conversation and Concert. 

Dates and Timings 

Fri 30 Oct  

Symposium 
Registration from 09:30 
Symposium - 11:00 - 17:00 

Pre-concert talk - 17:15 - 17:45 
Concert - 18:00 - 19:30 

Sat 31 Oct  
Registration from 08:30 
Symposium 09:30 - 17:00 

Sun 1 Nov 
Registration from 08:30 
Symposium 09:30 - 13:00 

Pre-Concert Conversation and Concert 

Pre-concert Conversation: A life in editing: perspectives on the editing of music from Professors Hugh Macdonald and Graham Sadler (https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/events-calendar/a-miscellany-of-french-treasures-30-10-2026)  

In this pre-concert conversation, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s own Professor Graham Sadler, an international authority on seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French music, and Professor Hugh Macdonald a world-renowned expert on Hector Berlioz discuss the challenges they’ve experienced in editing a range of works, including some of those that feature in the ensuing concert.  Join us as they share their insights on the role of the editor, drawing on a combined experience of sixty years in this field. 

Concert: A miscellany of French Treasures: music through the eyes of the editor 

The Ex Cathedra Scholars Ensemble, joined by students and staff instrumentalists from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire's Historical Performance Department and distinguished alumni, presents a diverse programme of French choral music from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, including works by Bouzignac, Mouliné, Du Mont, Campra, Rameau and Berlioz.  For the full list of works see https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/events-calendar/a-miscellany-of-french-treasures-30-10-2026     

Location
All symposium activity (including the concert) will take place at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC), 200 Jennens Road, Birmingham, UK B4 7XR.

Getting here
RBC is easily accessible from Birmingham City Centre: it is a 15-20 minute walk from the main train station, Birmingham New Street. For directions on foot from New Street station (and from Moor Street station), and on accessing RBC by car from the motorway networks which serve the city, see map and directions.  Birmingham is served by Birmingham International Airport. A free air-rail link connects the airport to Birmingham International Station, from where there are frequent connections to Birmingham New Street Station. See Getting to Birmingham Airport by train. 

Electronic travel authorisation 
If you are travelling to us from outside the UK, please be aware of the new requirement for visitors to have an ETA; see: Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA)and Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) factsheet. 

Staying in Birmingham 
We have negotiated conference rates for bed and breakfast in two hotels close to RBC. Details of promotional codes will be available to conference registrants on request.  Please contact: PracticeofEditing@bcu.ac.uk to request these.  Both deals are valid only until 30 September 2026 and are subject to availability, so we would advise booking in good time. 

We actively encourage doctoral researchers to attend.   We have several bursaries to support travel and accommodation for doctoral students.  Please do get in contact if you would like to discuss this: Adrian.Powney@bcu.ac.uk / PracticeofEditing@bcu.ac.uk 

We look forward to welcoming you to Birmingham in October. If you have any questions in the meantime, do not hesitate to contact us at PracticeofEditing@bcu.ac.uk / Adrian.Powney@bcu.ac.uk