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Sobornost is an aspect of the symbolism surrounding Russia's Orthodox religious rites. Its primary use in religious texts was to describe such gatherings in which the authority of God was invoked upon all communal activities. Sobornost emerges as a critical thread running through Russian musical culture. It was introduced into music by Alexander Skriabin, appropriated by the first modernist avant-garde in the later 1910s and 20s, and then reinterpreted at critical stages in the development of later Russian music. The aim of presenting this historical trajectory is to contextualise the 'second avant-garde' that developed during the 1970s, and to acknowledge Skriabin and the early avant-garde as consequential in the evolution of the later ' transcendental style.' Skriabin, similar to the ' Mystics' symbolist movement, attached metaphysical significance to the concept of the' artist as a creative vessel' which, as is the case with Nikolai Berdiaev's (1874-1948) ' ethics of creativity' , affirms the value of the unique and the individual. The desire to establish a thread that links sobornost - unity - and the indi vidual approach to the compositional process fOlms an impoliant part of this study. Exploring the different developments within the fragmented evolution of twentiethcentury Russian composition is integral in this context. Cultural and religious afterimages became the initial attraction and stimulus for the formation of new music that developed at the margins of the Soviet Union's 'official' concert life. Sobornost as expressed within the ritual of the Olihodox liturgy bears similarities with the 'transcendental idiom' that evolved from the second avant-garde during the 1970s. This transcendental idiom is at once a celebration of time and of eschatological reality; an anticipation of the 'world to come', as well as nostalgic of a concrete historical past. Several of Sofia Gubaidulina's pieces have the tendency to transcend the purely musical in favour of the symbolic, and often connote a ritual action; even their structures refer to something extra-musically religious, such as the cross, crucifixion, resurrection and transfiguration. In this context, Gubaidulina's music is presented as a case study to examine the changing role of sobornost in twentiethcentury Russian music. Significant works are used as exemplars of this larger pattern of historical interpretation.

The escalating costs associated with healthcare provision and the ever increasing aging population are posing concerns among healthcare providers in the UK. As a result, there is a growing need to shift the focus of healthcare delivery from 'treatment' to 'prevention' and to develop cost effective, health promoting strategies which empower patients and increase health awareness. A growing body of literature within the field of music psychology has emerged which provides evidence to support the positive benefits of music for health and wellbeing (MacDonald et al 2012). Research to date has largely focussed on the therapeutic aspects of music for clinical populations in relation to health and wellbeing and little is known about the role of music for preventative healthcare. This thesis presents the findings of a series of research studies which aimed to investigate the potential role of music for the promotion and . maintenance of health among the general population. A mixed methods approach was employed to investigate the role of music for health promotion. The research involved a series of studies employing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The series of studies included a questionnaire which explored the use of music among the general population focussing upon the patterns, functions and reasons for listening to music. The study also investigated the relationship between music, health and wellbeing through employing the use of the WHOQOL-BREF and Psychological Wellbeing scale. The findings revealed a frequent occurrence of music in the everyday lives of individuals affording physical, psychological, social and environmental gains. The findings suggest that music listening may be beneficial to overall quality of life and a number of constructs of wellbeing. The findings also provide evidence for the role of music in promoting health through regulation of everyday life practices. Building upon the findings of the questionnaire, semi-structured interviews with older adults were conducted which investigated the role of music in later life. Thematic analysis of 10 semi-structured interviews with older adults revealed overarching themes of the multifunctional nature of music in providing connection, association, a source of enjoyment and entertainment, and a background to everyday life. Finally, a mixed methods, applied project investigated the effects of a 9 month community choir project upon health and wellbeing. The study provided evidence of the value of community choir participation for health promotion by studying the subjective experiences of choir participants utilising questionnaires, interviews and an online diary. The findings provided an overview of the expectations of participants, their engagement with music and role and importance of music in everyday life. The findings gained from this study reveal the holistic contribution of singing to health and wellbeing through psychological, social and cognitive benefits. The support for choral participation in enhancing mood, promoting relaxation and reducing feelings of loneliness provides evidence for the use of choral singing as a health promoting tool which could be used to prevent conditions such as anxiety and feelings of depression. The findings from this study suggest that choral singing can target conditions such as these and may prevent or alleviate symptoms associated with mood affecting disorders. Through the social support network of the choir, individuals can also gain a sense of support and shared group identity which can contribute positively to preventing ill health. This research series highlights the importance and positive impact of music in providing benefits for health and wellbeing. The results provide evidence of the positive effects of music through both listening and active music participation and suggest that music is beneficial for the maintenance and promotion of health. Implications for healthcare provision and policy are discussed concerning the potential of role of music in primary and secondary prevention. Future research directions utilising an ecological model of music and health are proposed.

Taking its title from an essay (now lost) by the composer, this critical study evaluates and contextualizes the substantial volume of absolute music that sits outside the body of well-known church music for which Herbert Howells (1892-1983) is celebrated today. Within a narrative which is both analytical and historical, it traces and examines the essentially empirical development of his compositional processes, techniques, models and stylistic influences in detail for the first time and places it within a structure of three creative periods. In particular the study devotes attention to Howells's manipulation of formal principles across a range of instrumental genres – the solo sonata, the suite, concerted chamber music and concerto – and explores the composer's intellectualist predilection for structural compression and conflation at various architectonic levels. The discussion also focuses on Howells's use of tonality and its intrinsic, generative interrelationship with thematic material. Ultimately a case study in modernism and the British creative imagination, the thesis also examines aspects of Howells's reception history, the death of his son and the substantial BBC lecture series 'The Modern Problem', all three elements of which provide significant illumination of Howells's complex development as an instrumental composer, his musical Weltanschauung, his attitude to European contemporary music and how this adds significantly to a commentary on his own stylistic formation during a fragmented twentieth century.

The portfolio contains three elements in addition to a live recital. The first is a thesis based substantially on the author's experience of collaboration with the British composer Judith Bingham between 2011 and 2013 in the preparation and performance/recording of three commissioned works for solo organ or harpsichord. The study examines Bingham's work in the selected genres from a number of viewpoints. Specific analytical, technical and aesthetic questions are all examined in the course of the text, which draws on a range of new material, including autograph scores of unpublished early works and interviews and correspondence with Bingham herself and with recent interpreters of her work. The study will, it is hoped, assist in establishing a context within which performers of Bingham's works might develop their interpretations. The second element is a set of five recordings (both live and commercial) which feature two of the works commissioned from Bingham, alongside other repertoire. These recordings illustrate particular aspects of the performance issues discussed in the thesis - specifically notions of 'sonic authenticity' in Bingham's work - and also explore notions of the relationship between old and new compositional idioms, a concept which was fundamental to the composition of one of the commissioned works. The third element of the portfolio, comprising two published articles on performance issues in Alain's organ works, considers issues of textual 'authenticity' and its influence on interpretative outcomes in the performance of 20th century organ music.

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No description available.

The concept of input impedance is a very useful representation of the resonance characteristics of an acoustic horn. A large part of this work discuses its theoretical and experimental determination. It is demonstrated that higher modes, waves with a non-uniform pressure distribution on the plane perpendicular to the axis of the instrument, should be used in the theory of wave propagation in musical instruments featuring a flared bell as an improvement on assuming plane wave propagation. The impedance at the output end of an acoustic horn is known as the radiation impedance. The existing method for the calculation of the multimodal radiation impedance of a cylindrical tube terminated in an infinite baffle is reviewed. New work is then presented for the calculation of the radiation impedance of a rectangular duct terminated in an infinite baffle. An existing method for calculating the input impedance of an acoustic horn of cylindrical cross-section starting from the radiation impedance is utilised. The method is then formulated for horns of rectangular cross-section. Pressure field calculations are also presented. In acoustic pulse reflectometry an acoustic pulse is directed into the object under test and the sampled reflections analysed to provide the internal profile and the input impedance. It is shown that better agreement is observed between the experimental and theoretical input impedance when higher modes are included in the calculation. Currently the bore reconstruction analysis assumes plane wave propagation since this provides a simple formula for the frequency independent reflection and transmission coefficients at changes in cross-section in a pipe. The multimodal reflection and transmission coefficients are, however, frequency dependent. A higher-mode method is presented to calculate the reflection of an impulse with the aim of improving the technique’s accuracy for horns which feature a large rate of flare at the end. Digital filters designed to represent losses and cancel reflection from the sound source are also shown to increase accuracy and make possible the measurement of longer objects.