Vanishing Songs: How Musical Extinctions Threaten the Planet

The 2009 Laurence Picken Memorial Lecture, given to commemorate the centenary of the eminent British musicologist, Dr Laurence Picken (1909–2007), draws on recent linguistic research into endangered languages to advance the view that the extinction of musical traditions is a tragedy not just for those who lose them, but also for the whole of humanity. Reflecting on the scientific nature of Picken's research corpus, and drawing on his own experience as a ceremonial performer in the Australian Aboriginal wangga tradition, The author argues that scientistic framings of performance traditions that rest upon radically different ontologies further endanger such traditions by erasing key elements that may be vital to the future survival of the planet.