GRIEF. Sonic Expressions of Loss, Pain, and Sadness

The reasons for grieving today are many. The call-for-papers for this issue mentioned war, disease, social injustice and the climate crisis as sources from which in both public and private lives grievances currently stem from. Paired with pain, sadness, remorse, anger and loss, all the aggravating affects and movements of the soul, grief can manifest in various kinds of sonic expressions. In different cultural contexts expressions of grief can be heard as cries, wails, sobs and mourning, or chiming of bells. Musical genres evolving around grief and sadness are plenty. There are nevertheless various sonic manifestations of grief that are not musical nor performed.

According to the four audio papers selected for this issue, the aesthetics and ethics of grief can swirl around communication in crisis, family grief and shame mingled with popular music, and reviving ancient rituals of mourning, namely lamenting.