This study examines Lully's fifth tragedie lyrique Isis (1677), and shows its placement within the composer's operatic oeuvre; it assesses the importance of the opera in the development of a genre that for nearly a century would remain essentially unchanged. The study begins with an examination of aspects of Lully's first five tragedies Cadmus et Hermione (1673), Alceste (1674), Thesee (1675), Atys (1676) and Isis (1677)--citing those literary and musical features that gave the tragedie lyrique its unique qualities. Chapter III deals with three contemporary scores of Isis, the set of ten part books (Lully's first published music) printed under the composer's supervision in 1677, the first printed full score, published nearly fifty years later, and an undated full score manuscript, probably copied about 1690; they show how remarkably little his works were changed from generation to generation. The final section of this study is an examination of Lully's musical style, those features and qualities that comprise Lully's Isis.

This research presents a model of Evaluation Processes in Community Music from the perspective of a practising Community Musician. Using a frame of Action Research five case studies are set up and other data collected. These are analysed and a model is constructed which formulates the current practice of evaluation of the Action Researcher. Suggestions are made about how this model can be used to aid future evaluation in Community Music contexts. The introduction outlines the background and themes of this research. Chapter One explores the nature of the term 'community' and presents a working model of the processes of community creation. The parameters of the term 'Community Music' are discussed through a literature review and the researcher's knowledge of the field. Chapter Two discusses why an Action Research approach was chosen, and how certain strategies within this were used. Chapter Three introduces the five case studies and interrogates them in the light of the themes identified in Chapter One. Chapter Four gives two examples of how interview and discussion data have been analysed and again interrogates the data. In Chapter Five, the model is presented and the case studies are used to explore it. Research conclusions are also presented which bring together the model and the themes of the research. Chapter Six explores the implications of the model and suggests areas of further research.

My aims have always been to present an exploration of English community choirs, their music and their leadership from a very personal perspective, which brings together my background as a folk musician, my career in training and facilitation, and my developing understanding of a system of musical hierarchies which (though often unspoken) inform and colour not only my own musical experience but that of many others. My motivation for this is partly to put into words the story of a movement that has had relatively little attention from the academic world, and to bring into the foreground aspects of music making which have had a marginal place the world of choral music. I also wish to draw attention to the skills of a range of performers and practitioners who despite (or perhaps because of) a lack of formal musical qualifications, through familiarity with oral methods of learning and teaching provide a means for many people to make the significant transition between being music consumers and music makers. This statement is a review of my work in many fields leading to my achievement of the position of a highly regarded performer, choir leader, arranger and trainer. I recount my journey, and give many examples of my work in this field, demonstrating many contributions along the way. In so doing I have added significantly to the store of knowledge and understanding in these areas.

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The choral music of the French church in the years before the Revolution was more popular than history has recorded, as is witnessed in the large amount of music composed for the nation's cathedrals, and its enduring success at the Concerts Spirituels in Paris and various provincial centres. The chief vehicle for music in the church was not the Mass, but the Grand Motet, a large-scale work for soloists, chorus, and orchestra. As a genre it reached its heights early in the century with Charpentier, Campra, and above all Lalande. Late in the century, it suffered from the stifling popularity of early masters, the declining influence of church and court, and the attraction to major composers of the livelier world of opera. The motet survived until the Revolution, however, and in these late years Fran~ois Giroust was arguably its most important composer, in terms of position, popularity, and productivity. His career and works give us a comprehensive guide to the state of French church music in the second half of the century. Each stage of his career-boy in the choir-school of Notre Dame, maitre of the Cathedral of Orleans, advancement to Paris and the Church of SS Innocents and the Concert Spirituel, ultimate success at the chapel at Versailles, and finally the upheaval of the Revolution--is used to provide the basis for a wider discussion. Among the matters investigated are the training of church musicians, the role of the cathedral maitre, and the place of music in cathedral services; the state of church music in Paris and at Versailles under Louis XVI; and the fate of church music and musicians during the Revolution. A look at the motet through the century, including a discussion of the demands of the court, the influence of secular mus-ie, and the views of the critics, leads finally to a close examination of the motets of Giroust, where such features as style, format, performing resources, and form are dealt with. This is the first critical examination of his music, and what emerges is a motet with which we are not at all familiar. A second volume presents a catalogue of all the known motets of Giroust, including works of questionable attribution. In addition to incipits and performance instructions for all movements, the catalogue includes such details as performers (where mentioned), known first performances, complete orchestration, and timings.

This is a qualitative study, based on a series of focus groups and semi-structured interviews. The research aims are: to explore the lived experience of choral singers; to identify some of the main influences on their perceptions of their voices and performance ability; to highlight some of the factors affecting their confidence as singers. Three focus group interviews, involving a total of eighteen singers, were carried out, followed by sixteen individual interviews. At the time of data collection, the majority of participants were involved in a range of different types of choral singing, and had experience of performing with a number of different conductors. The interviews each provided approximately two hours of recorded verbal data (over 40 hours in total), and have been analysed and interpreted using techniques based on interpretative phenomenological analysis. Emergent themes include situational and environmental factors, such as choral acoustics, choir configuration, and concert venues; the influence of significant others, including family, fellow singers, and conductors; and a number of issues related to choral direction, musical leadership and group dynamics. The ultimate aim of this research is to provide a set of useful recommendations for conductors and teachers with an interest in maximising confidence in choral ensembles.

Trinidad has a long history of applying the linguistic formulation of 'double entendre' as a mode of misinformation that permeates every aspect of its culture. Double entendre here forms an agent of secrecy and camouflage, reversal and subversion, and ensures that 'nothing is ever as it seems'. It is not just a witty, mischievous past-time, but is endemic to the very workings of that society, a status quo that has been born out of a long history of suppression. Even though my theatrical production Carnival Messiah makes no direct reference to the institution of slavery or the British parliamentary abolition act of 1807, its every step is rooted in the emancipation of slaves in order to comprehensively reflect the entire the cultural history of Trinidad and Tobago from that date. Carnival Messiah symbolically depicts the emergence of the cultural history of Trinidad and Tobago through its use of carnival masquerade as a multi- dimensional metaphor which embodies the historical experiences of African holocaust, sixteenth-century European expansionism, and nineteenth-century Asian indentureship. Attached to these experiences are the consequent appropriation of those multiple and shifting identities within one space, which in Carnival Messiah are harnessed and transformed to re-present an established western narrative within a new and distinctly re-imagined Caribbean cultural identity.

The main aim of the research was to determine the context and efficacy of verbal imagery in choral rehearsals. It sought to establish the types of imagery used and whether and how they were understood by singers. The research aimed to define the relationship between imagery and the other rehearsal strategies directors employ. The intention of the research was to establish what role imagery plays in choral directing pedagogy and what implications this has for choral directors’ practice. The investigation was completed over five years and adopted a multi-method approach, using videoed observations, questionnaires and interviews; twenty-one directors and 332 choir members across 15 choirs contributed to the research. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was the most appropriate analytical approach for this research as it is concerned with how participants make sense of their experiences. The sung responses to imagery were examined in their rehearsal context. The research identified five types of imagery in choral rehearsals: simple, multiple, themed, negative and stock images. It also determined nine functions and effects of imagery: • Imagery is used to transmit clear objectives • Imagery is used effectively to achieve objectives • Imagery is used to change thinking • Imagery is used to create multiple-effects • Imagery is used as a mnemonic • Imagery is used to save rehearsal time • Imagery can replace technical terminology • Imagery is used to illustrate the text • Imagery is associated with a specified musical phrase. Imagery is influential in developing singers’ understanding of the concepts involved in choral singing and in enabling singers to create and modify vocal sounds in response to their director’s requests. Choral directors can employ these findings to inform their thinking and practice, combining imagery with other rehearsal techniques in the knowledge that it is a useful and effective strategy.

This thesis was written as the supporting reflective and contextual statement within a submission for the PhD by Publication at the University of West London (under its previous nomenclature of Thames Valley University). It refers extensively to the author/composer's body of published and/or recorded sacred choral music up to the year 2008. These items are not uploaded onto the Repository, but data on several of them can be located here.