RADIO INTERVIEW: Christmas music and the power of song in times of plague

It seems that the Christmas season just isn’t complete without Christmas carols and other holiday songs. What is it about this particular music that puts many people in a good mood and why does it have such staying power? Dr. Remi Chiu, a musicologist at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore and author of “Plague and Music in the Renaissance” talks about it with George Matysek.

Dr. Chiu also shares insights about the historic power of music in times of plague and pandemic. He says there are many similarities in the way people have responded to plagues of the early Renaissance and the way they have responded to the coronavirus pandemic today — especially in the way music has been used to improve mental health.

Click play below to listen to the full program.

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