Music in Albion | World Anvil

Music

Music is, of course, something that is shared between the magical and non-magical communities.  

From the non-magical world

People in Albion are of course widely familiar with music from the non-magical world, and have access to the same sort of recording and radio options as others in that community so long as they don't rely on electricity. (Crystal radio sets are the preference for magical households in the 1920s, but they work quite well.) There are some magical methods of playing phonograph and other audio recordings as well.   Best Foot Forward features music (and visits to several notable performances in 1935). I have a page with a link to the playlist and notes about the music on my website.   

The magical community

On the whole, magical community music groups run on the smaller side in terms of orchestras and choruses (think 20-40 people, not 100 on the stage). However, there are a whole lot of them, ranging from amateur groups through to skilled professional musicians. Magical performances often include charm lighting, illusion, or magical sound effects to enhance the performance.   (While some performers will use a bit of glamour magic, these are held to strict limits, and legitimate theatres and clubs have someone on staff who is responsible for maintaining them. A little bit of persuasion is one thing, manipulation for personal gain in a way that harms the listener is not).   There are a number of pieces (and composers) specific to the magical community, either because the composer lived entirely in the magical community, or because the piece references or relies on magic explicitly in a way that would contravene The Pact.   A wide range of folk songs, some of which may or may not have magically true things in them, are also in circulation. The trick there is that they're not labelling themselves in bright shiny letters.   Popular topics for compositions in the magical community itself include:  
  • The Pact
  • Life before the Pact, tales of Fatae pranks or more serious actions.
  • Historical operas focused on Richard III, the damages of Cromwell's Protectorate, or the foolishness of the Tudors.
  • Various historical events from within the community (including various scandals).
  • The founding of Schola
 

Magic

Obviously, music can also be used for magic. It's mostly commonly associated with Incantation and Ritual magic, but a number of Materia specialists swear by particular chants or sung methods of attuning to an item.   Music is one of the four core Quadrivium subjects (along with Astronomy, Geometry, and Mathematics) taught at Schola, and also part of the curriculum at the other Five Schools. All five schools have their own music ensembles and seasonal performances, as well as special events like the Revue in Eclipse. Zimri Hallerton is the Music professor at Schola during Eclipse.