46: Hearing the Middle Ages: Playing with and Contextualising Acoustical Heritage and Historical Soundscapes Research Mariana Lopez, @Mariana_J_Lopez, University of York I am a Senior Lecturer in Sound Production and Post Production at the Department of Theatre, Film, Television and Interactive Media at the University of York. This short article explores the challenges and opportunities of using digital games to present sound heritage research. Although I will be drawing from my work on sound in the ‘York Mystery Plays’ medieval drama cycle, and the creation of the interactive web experience 'The Soundscapes of the York Mystery Plays', which can be visited here, the findings and lessons learnt are widely applicable. Acoustical heritage and historical soundscapes work are not new but the challenges of presenting findings in a transparent and engaging manner to non-expert audiences has received limited attention. But what do I mean by 'transparent'? Acknowledging the unknowns and limitations in sound heritage work. Unknowns are linked to (1) the way history often relies on fragmented sources that may make several interpretations possible. (2) The fact that acoustical work is limited by the acoustical theories and techniques utilised, for example, the difficulty in knowing the acoustic properties of historical surface materials, the determination of sound source and listener positions and the geometric acoustic theory used by computer models (Vorländer 2013; Álvarez-Morales, López and Álvarez-Corbacho 2020). Moreover, and very importantly, acoustical work is limited by the assumptions made by researchers, which include which spaces are deemed ‘worthy’ of study. (3) The importance of understanding the cultural context of listening experiences: we cannot ‘hear’ as our ancestors did, the senses are time and space specific (Smith 2007). Understanding context is key, but acoustical heritage work tends to leave this aside. Whereas linear sound recreations, such as those at museums, often present one version of the past, the non-linear nature of digital games allows for the exploration of different possible sonic pasts. By presenting different options, we welcome uncertainty and reflection (Lopez 2020). 'The Soundscapes of the York Mystery Plays' was designed to explore how to present the uncertainty and multiplicity of sonic renditions by inviting users to change the performance setting of the plays based on historical findings and possible scenarios (see Figure 46.1).
Figure 46.1: The Soundscapes of the York Mystery Plays interface. Visual design by Oswin Wan. 75
