Benjamin Bagby to bring ‘Beowulf’ to life in gripping solo spoken performance

Susan Bland

22 Jan 2025

Medieval harpist Benjamin Bagby, a middle aged white man wearing a black shirt and pants, performs "Beowulf" while holding his harp in his lap. He emphasizes the line by making a fist with the other hand. — Benjamin Bagby performs "Beowulf" onstage. Photo courtesy of Hillary Scott.

Considered a foundational work of English literature, “Beowulf” is a cultural touchstone that has explored timeless themes, such as bravery, mortality, and legacy, helping to shape modern storytelling from blockbuster films and video games to current literature. Experience this epic tale in the most epic way — reverberating through the chapel of the Blacksburg Presbyterian Church in a gripping solo spoken performance by vocalist, harpist, and medievalist Benjamin Bagby.

For his Moss Arts Center debut, Bagby will deliver two evening performances of “Beowulf: The Epic in Performance” on Thursday, Feb. 6, and Friday, Feb. 7, at 7:30 p.m. at the Blacksburg Presbyterian Church, at 701 Church St. SE. Performed in Old English, the performances are accompanied by modern English supertitles.

Bagby’s performance of “Beowulf” is a mesmerizing recreation of the epic as it might have been experienced in its original oral tradition. While it's now familiar as a written work, the medieval audience for “Beowulf” would have known it through the performance of a scop, or bardic storyteller. Bagby, a musician, storyteller, and scholar, delivers the poem in Old English as a single performer, accompanying himself on the Anglo-Saxon harp as he transports audiences to the ancient world of heroic tales as it would have been experienced more than 1,000 years ago.

Bagby has been an important figure in the field of medieval musical performance for over 40 years. Since 1977, when he and the late Barbara Thornton co-founded medieval music ensemble Sequentia, his time has been devoted to the research, performance, and recording work of the ensemble. He is also deeply involved with the solo performance of Anglo-Saxon and Germanic oral poetry.

In 2017, he was awarded the Artist of the Year Award by REMA, the European Early Music Network. In addition to researching and creating over 75 programs for Sequentia, he has written about medieval performance practice and taught courses and workshops all over Europe and North America. Between 2005-18, he taught medieval music performance practice at the Sorbonne-University of Paris. He currently teaches medieval music performance at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany.

These performances are supported in part by gifts from Ms. Susan M. Hansen and Dr. Rachel Gabriele and Dr. Matthew Gabriele. Additional funding is provided by the Don and Carolyn Rude Fund for Excellence.

Related events

Join Matthew Gabriele, professor of medieval studies in the Department of Religion and Culture, as he discusses how “Beowulf” would have been understood in its time during his talk “Family Feuds: The Poem ’Beowulf’ in its Historical Context,” prior to the performance on Thursday, Feb. 6, beginning at 6:15 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required.

Following the performance on Friday, Feb. 7, Bagby engages with audience members in a post-performance discussion.

Charlene Eska, professor in the Department of English, hosts “Reading: ‘Beowulf’ in Old English,” where participants can try reading Old English while learning about the historical changes in language that occurred in the time of “Beowulf,” on Monday, Feb. 10, from 12:30-1 p.m. in 380 Shanks Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

During his visit to Blacksburg, Bagby will visit several classes to discuss with Virginia Tech Students various elements of “Beowulf” and its importance to the Anglo-Saxon literary canon, his approach to performances of medieval works, and the artistic styles and influences of the medieval and Baroque periods.

Tickets

Tickets are $30 for general admission and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.

Venue and parking information

The performance and related events will be held at the Blacksburg Presbyterian Church, 701 Church St. SE. The church parking lot is at the corner of Church Street and Hemlock Drive. There is street parking on all sides of the church. Street parking in downtown Blacksburg is free every day after 5 p.m.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jamie Wiggert at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email wiggertj@vt.edu during regular business hours.