This research details my growth as a composer as I try to reconcile my identity, background and family life with my research into composition. The key concept running through my overall research and composition is the idea of 'pace', which relates to an individual's interpretation of time regarding a musical piece. This concept was further expanded to explore the communication between the composer, performer and the audience, and how each of their unique 'pace' can affect each other and build the outcome of the music. This research also explored the role of the audience which ultimately led to active audience interaction within a concert environment. The idea of audience interaction was attempted for real time music making for concerts. This was realised by converting audience participation to the form of electronic sound. The concepts developed through exploring pace, communication and audience interaction, were re-integrated into subsequent compositions. Furthermore, a practical method was developed to help re-establish and re-engage the inspiration behind a composition, after time away from the process. By composing the experience of time, I have been able to mature as a composer as I have learnt to reconcile my identity, background and family life with my academic research compositions.

This portfolio of compositions includes nine pieces, most of which relate to Macedonian folk music. Some compositions quote entire folk songs while others only excerpts; some employ variation and estrangement as compositional tools, without relation to specific folk songs. The harmonic language developed in the earlier pieces often relates to jazz, as I wanted to explore the value of applying established jazz voicing techniques outside their usual context. Towards the end of the research process, I tried to establish my own harmonic vocabulary, independent of jazz influence, As I turned my focus from harmony to melody, I chose heterophonic textures as a starting point for the transformation of the melodic and rhythmic material. My aim was to explore the potential of a single melodic line as the main generator of all development by expanding its contours and breaking its harmonic background.

This dissertation examines not only how sound-colour manifests itself within the author's musical language, but also questions whether practise at such a synesthetic method has generated greater dexterity in its execution. Drawing on research from the philosophy of art and taking a personal approach, three areas of investigation are taken 1) a critical analysis of Oliver Messiaen's Couleurs de la cite celeste, where he claims that the piece evolves in the manner of colours; 2) an exploration into the author's own compositional process through an analytical study of Seven Miniatures After Chagal/; and 3) discussion regarding to what extent this period of research has affected the development of the author's musical language and presentation of the author's own theory on sound-colour. Conclusions are drawn on how the author has successfully refined her synesthetic approach to music through a process of exploration, exposure and practise, and that there are some universal truths regarding colour and composition that cannot be ignored.

This thesis analyses a number of projects which represent an attempt to forge a coherent compositional language. Structurally, it delineates the contrasting, sometimes opposing elements of two distinct areas of exploration: the search tor greater accessibility in contemporary music, which focuses primarily (though not exclusively) on community endeavours; and the possibilities and results which spring from opportunities to work with professional musicians, where few stylistic or performance constraints occur.

The main part of this submission is a portfolio of five selected compositions, representative of my compositional development between 2003 and 2009, three of which explore the expressive qualities of the solo voice, soprano, counter-tenor or baritone, in settings of highly symbolic or surreal poetry by Gerard Manley Hopkins (Life's Masque Mirrored), St. John of the Cross (En una noche oscura) and Federico Garcia Lorca (Virgen de la Soledad). While the Hopkins cycle features the piano in a substantive accompanimental role, the other two works make use of unusual chamber combinations. Hopkins' poetry also features in The May Magnificat for choir and organ; while the potential of the piano as a solo instrument is realised in the Sonata. Also included are recordings of two of the works, Virgen de la Soledad (2005-06) and Sonata for Piano (2007), programme notes and composer's analytical commentary, the latter of which outlines techniques and methodologies employed in the composition of the above works and acknowledges the diverse influences which have had some bearing upon them. A major component of the submission is a dissertation entitled Olivier Messiaen: musical and symbolic aspects of three later organ cycles, which has some relevance to the submitted compositions, most of which are settings of symbolic texts. The purpose of this study is to consider the particular nature and circumstances of Messiaen's own, deeply-held faith and to evaluate the extent to which the truths which he sought to illuminate were determinants of the form, structure and content of his compositions and to what degree these truths inform our understanding of his music. Three of the later organ cycles, each being representative of a different period of Messiaen's compositional development and each dealing with one of the most important mysteries of the Roman Catholic faith, are analysed in detail to achieve this end. Religious symbolism has, down the centuries, been a source of inspiration in many different areas of creativity, e.g. fine art, architecture, poetry, drama and music. A number of the more established contemporary composers look to some form of religious symbolism to underpin their work : James Macmillan, Arvo Part, and John Tavener come to mind. Olivier Messiaen himself said that "all art which attempt~ to express the Diivine Mystery may qualify as religious" and that “all music which approaches with reverence the Divine, the Sacred, the Ineffable, IS truly religious music in the full strength of the term". Most of Messiaen's music is strongly symbolic, but the organ repertoire is of particular importance since it is performed usually within a consecrated space, sometimes as part of the liturgy; furthermore, it spans his whole compositional career. The purpose of this present study is to consider the particular nature and circumstances of Messiaen's own, deeply-held faith and to evaluate the extent to which the truths which he sought to illuminate were determinants of the form, structure and content of his compositions and to what degree these truths inform our understanding of his music. Three of the later organ cycles, each being representative of a different period of Messiaen's compositional development and each dealing with one of the most important mysteries of the Roman Catholic faith, are analysed in detail to achieve this end.

This PhD submission comprises two parts: firstly, a portfolio of original compositions (80%) and secondly, a critical overview of the Composers' Desktop Project (20%). The compositional portfolio contains both acoustic and electronic elements. The former includes works for different groups ranging from a solo instrument, to vocal ensemble and symphonic band. The electronic works include the use and manipulation of pre-recorded and synthesised sounds. Electronic elements are sometimes employed solely or in conjunction with acoustic instruments. The approach to composition is multi-faceted, a pluralistic multi-disciplinary approach. It draws on a variety of techniques to turn abstract ideas into music. This exploration and extension of compositional techniques is the main target of this research. The Composers' Desktop Project is a set of time and frequency domain sound transformation tools, working offline, developed by a cooperative group of electroacoustic composers, sound designers and programmers since 1987, based in the DK. This research project is a study to review the current state of CDP and to assess its ongoing usefulness. As a result of this research, I hope to raise awareness of this software and encourage future development.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Prior to the undertaking of a PhD, previous academic study consisted of a traditional music degree and a Masters in Design. Out of this experience I began to become exposed to the compositional works of experimental and minimalist composers, such as John Cage, La Monte Young, Terry Riley and Steve Reich. The listening, articulating and theorisation of such works caused me to arrive at a crisis point during my period of study, questioning the meaning, purpose and consistency of sound. What is sound? What does sound consist of? How do we differentiate the various labels given to sound? What does it mean to listen to a sound? Through attentive listening to compositions which have a wider conception of sound's role than that in most previous Western music, it became evident that sound must be isolated (differentiating sound from standard musical compositions) in order to study and analyse its meaning and importance, ascertaining that sound should be placed in a field of itself. Such realisation led to a personal interest in the role and cultural relationship of sound, in the construction, preservation and maintenance of our everyday lived experience. This continued relationship takes place in a context where, technologically, the space is being transformed, due to the continuing development of innovative ways of presenting sound-based work to a wider public audience. The aim of this thesis is therefore threefold: 1. To interrogate the origins of new media technologies, in order to determine if there are implications in relation to sound technology. 2. To record and archive the sonic ethnography of Northern Ireland. 3. To establish a relevant form of creative exhibition best suited for public exposure of this kind of work and the possibilities for commercialisation. An analysis of sound in a coherent, logical and multidisciplinary approach will be undertaken, as it is intellectually unthinkable to investigate and deliberate each of the above aims individually. It is impossible to think of these aims as separate units and components. As a result, we are unable to consider a discrete aim, without taking into account the research aims as a whole. In this way each aim acts as a single side of a triangle, coming together to make this sonic whole.