Crux Fidelis is a musical and theatrical setting of the Roman Catholic Good Friday service. The work consists of three movements during which seven themes are developed in cyclic fashion thus making the overall form of the piece one of thematic variations. Variable tempos and moods are used throughout the work and are determined by the text. Linear construction, used primarily throughout the work, results in occasional vertical sonorities. A further synopsis of the elements of the work is included in the discussion and analysis.

M.Mus. Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2008 / This report forms part of the output of a research team investigating the phenomenon of overtone singing as practiced by the women of the Ngqoko Women’s Ensemble in the village of Ngqoko outside the town of Lady Frere in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This essay examines various systems of musical notation in terms of their possible application in the transcription process of overtone singing as found amongst these women. A selection of their music is transcribed using the formulated notational systems and the effectiveness of these systems is compared. A recommendation as to which system of notation is most effective for documenting this type of music is made. Utilising the soundworld of the Ngqoko recordings, an original piece of music is composed as part of this submission.

Jishin (earthquake) is a musical composition written for full orchestra, based on a twelve-tone row. The twelve-tone row is structured such that it contains only two musical intervals (perfect 5 th , major 3 rd ). Due to the nature of the row, various transpositions of the row can be used to form what seems to be a never ending cycle of pitches. Throughout the composition the material of the row is fragmented and used motivically to develop larger structures within the whole of the piece. Like an earthquake, Jishin strives to create an enormous amount of tension and aggressive energy. At the end, the moment of strongest tension, the original row is set against itself in retrograde, metaphorically representing the friction caused by plate tectonics.

1 score (viii, 129 p. ： music) / Age of Legends is an original orchestral composition in three movements, of approximately twenty minutes in duration. In the tradition of the literature-inspired symphonic poem, the piece is based on the celebrated fiction series The Wheel of Time , by acclaimed American author Robert Jordan (1948-2007). The title of the thesis refers to a particularly enchanting era described in the series, wherein the magical and miraculous are interwoven into everyday life. The piece's three movements portray a purely musical depiction of the breathtaking adventures that unfold throughout the fourteen-volume fantasy saga, evoking its richly imaginative scenes and thrilling, dramatic developments. Additionally, the music seeks to embody the intense emotional and psychological states experienced in the lives of The Wheel of Time 's fascinating literary characters, as they undergo defining moments of tremendous bravery, extreme peril, and exultant triumph. / Committee in charge: Dr. Robert Kyr, Chair; Dr. David Crumb, Member; Dr. Jack Boss, Member

This dissertation is a reflection on The Art of Light, a piece written for orchestra by Mary Stiles. The document discusses formal aspects of the work as well as the composer's thoughts on the compositional process. Aspects of time as they relate to the piece are examined in detail, as are the composer's use of simplicity, orchestration, and motivic development. / Graduate

The Mystic Trumpeter is intended to reflect and comment on the meaning of the poem of the same name featured in Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. Formally the individual movements are approximately simple territory ternary in form; however, cyclical treatment of the opening motive is the main structural concept of the work, and its appearance throughout the composition is controlled entirely by the recurring connotations of the poetry.

The English Walnut Joke is a composition for concert band and dramatic soprano. The English Walnut Joke was based on a text of the same title by Alec Rowell and is divided into two movements with a total duration of approximately twenty-two minutes. The joke concerns itself with the dealings between a wood-chopper and a jongleur in medieval England and is related to the audience by a destitute factory worker (the dramatic soprano) in the early Industrial Age of that country.

The public school learning environment is based on the learning styles of white middle class children. When African-American students enter this environment, they become frustrated because aspects of their culture, which affect how they learn, are excluded. This frustration may be responsible for the high drop-out rates among black students. The research suggests that incorporating African-American cultural attitudes, values, and behaviors in curriculum will help these students achieve. Because folklore and music are important parts of the African-American culture, an arts-based education program using these art forms would aid in teaching African-American students. In addition, involvement of all students in African-American folklore and music furthers the goals of multiethnic education. For this study, a musical was developed for elementary education. It incorporated an African-American folktale, "The People Could Fly", and elements of African-American music. A curriculum guide was developed containing information for the teacher on African-American culture and how it affects learning. A narrative was included for the teacher to read to the students about African-American life and culture, in particular, folklore and music. The guide contains activities for the students and additional resources for the teacher in the areas of African-American music, folklore and multicultural education. The guide was reviewed by twenty-two people from educational fields, revised and subsequently reviewed by four of the same reviewers and two new ones. The musical was performed for elementary school students, videotaped, and critiqued by the teacher involved. All comments were positive about the scope and the need for this kind of project. The researcher recommends that further study be done regarding learning styles of ethnic groups, that more musicals following the premise of this dissertation be created, and that evaluation of their effectiveness be initiated with specific African-American and general populations.

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This dissertation is intended as a supportive document for the five-part suite for ten-piece jazz ensemble entitled Real Talk. It is divided into six chapters, four of which are analytical and cover the following topics: Form, Melody, Harmony, and Other Compositional Techniques. Subcategories are used within these chapters to draw attention to specific compositional components relevant to the construction of the piece; illustrative tables and examples have been provided to assist in describing these components. The ultimate purpose of this document is to describe in detail my technical approach to the composition. / text