About
Dr Jane Flynn is a Visiting Fellow at the School of History within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures at the University of Leeds, specializing in the intersection of music, pedagogy, and religious identity during England's Tudor period. Her scholarly work bridges historical musicology, liturgical studies, and the socio-religious dynamics of recusant communities.
Her educational foundation includes:
- PhD in Musicology from Duke University (1993)
- MA in Performance Practice Studies from Duke University (1988)
- MMus in Organ Performance from Westminster Choir College (1986)
- BMus (Hons) from the University of Edinburgh (1981)
Flynn's research centers on Tudor liturgical music, particularly keyboard practices and pedagogical traditions up to 1650. She investigates how English Catholicism shaped musical expression during recusancy, with sustained focus on John Heywood's works and the Mulliner Book manuscripts. Her methodology combines archival analysis with performance practice, revealing how music functioned as both spiritual resistance and educational tool in clandestine Catholic households.
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications shows consistent thematic threads: organ improvisation techniques in liturgical contexts, gendered musical participation in recusant spaces, and the pedagogical transmission of musical knowledge. Her work frequently examines neglected primary sources like the Mulliner Book to reconstruct Tudor performance practices, while connecting musical activities to broader historical narratives of religious persecution and cultural survival.
No scientific awards are documented in available sources.
While her Emory University tenure (1993-2000) indicates prior teaching responsibilities, current advising activities and grant funding remain unspecified in institutional records. Her independent website (jeflynntudorimprovisation.blog) serves as a digital extension of her scholarly practice, featuring performance demonstrations.
Research operations appear to be conducted individually rather than through formal labs or institutional teams, with collaborations primarily manifesting in co-edited volumes and joint publications like her 2009 review with William Flynn.
