The Gaelic women’s song tradition has been studied in depth, and the post-Reformation Church and its impact on the Gàidhealtachd examined from various perspectives, yet the body of evangelical song which shows the interaction of the two is possibly the least explored area of traditional Gaelic verse and the least understood outside the immediate environment in which it was created. In their devotional songs, evangelical elegies and waulking songs, generations of women have left a record of the domestic, spiritual and cultural life of the Gàidhealtachd which would be difficult to retrieve from any other source. The present study provides access to this important literary and cultural resource by creating a research corpus of 600 poems, representing the work of 165 women from many different parts of the Gàidhealtachd, dating from the mid-eighteenth century to the present day. The historical, theological and literary background to the songs is explored, using both a range of secondary sources and the words of selected poets as they articulate and define contemporary events within the context of Reformed doctrine. Analysis across the corpus shows songs creating an allegorical world within which every creature, person and place is imbued with spiritual significance, each acting as a mnemonic for an associated biblical paradigm. This use of scriptural and doctrinal allusion is functional rather than purely ornamental, with core metaphors expressed and made authoritative in lexicons of honorifics, epithets and poetic place names. The thesis facilitates fuller reading of spiritual song by explaining the symbolic significance of the above elements, demonstrating their role in creating contextual settings, linking songs into a network of biblical, doctrinal and poetic texts, extending and validating the poet’s message. The functioning of this referential system is further explored in detailed literary analysis of the work of a representative sample of poets, each of whom is set in her own social and historical context.

Patterns and causes of variation in the reproductive success of Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) are investigated in this thesis. The two general patterns looked for were: inter-annual variation in reproductive success, and repeatability of reproductive success of individual parents. The specific problems addressed were: (1) whether intra-seasonal variation in reproductive success was the result of differences in the quality of parents or their territories; (2) whether nutritional condition of nestlings affected their subsequent survival; (3) whether variation in morphology of adult sparrows was influenced by the conditions under which birds grew up; and (4) given the patterns discovered in the first three sections, how trade-offs between present and future reproduction constrain the effort expended by adult sparrows in reproduction. Data used in this thesis came from a long-term (1975-present) descriptive study of the population of Song Sparrows living on Mandarte Island, B.C., Canada. Data on survival, reproductive success, and nestling and adult morphology were all available. The approach taken in the thesis was to search for systematic variation in the data, and from these patterns to make inferences about cause and effect. The following conclusions are made: (1) the intra-seasonal decline in clutch size, observed in populations of many species of birds, was the result of poor birds or birds on poor quality territories both nesting later and laying smaller clutches; (2) nestlings in better nutritional condition had a higher probability of survival while under the care of their parents, than nestlings in poor nutritional condition; (3) the probability of survival of offspring after they left their parents' care was lower for young born later in the year, but this pattern is not caused by variation among parents or their territories (contrary to the cause of seasonal decline in clutch size); (4) morphology of birds as adults was affected by the environment that birds grew up in, with nutritional condition and population density while a nestling both affecting adult morphology; (5) the effort that parents expend on reproduction is constrained by ability to vary reproductive effort with date of nesting and parental age. / Science, Faculty of / Zoology, Department of / Graduate

American composer Stuart Saunders Smith (b. 1948) has been active in the composition of contemporary art music for over forty years, composing over 200 musical and interdisciplinary works. His music ties the experimental world of contemporary music to his experiences living, composing, and teaching in the northeastern United States. Many of his works have included spoken word as a percussion instrument, either alone or blended with instrumental percussion writing. Although not unique in blurring the boundaries between text and music, Stuart Saunders Smith’s texted percussion works manage to both belong to tradition and exist as a unique body of works, as can be seen by studying the context of their creation, technique in synthesizing music and text, and usage of text as melodic material.

finns flera olika orsaker till att elever väljer att sjunga eller inte. I min studie vill jag undersöka de bakomliggande faktorerna till det. Aspekter som diskuteras kring är genus, identitet och självbild, självförtroende, motivation, läroplanen, betyg och bedömning samt didaktik. I studien är jag intresserad av hur både elever och lärares uppfattningar om att sjunga i grundskolan. En fenomenografisk kvalitativ ansats som bygger på fokusgrupper och enskilda intervjuer med elever och lärare har tillämpats i forskningen. Resultatet visarpå både skillnader och likheter mellan pojkar och flickors uppfattningar kring sång. Många elever uppskattar att sjunga tillsammans för att få en trygghet vilket är i likhet med lärarnas uppfattningar. En del elever gillar inte att stå i centrum och sjunga solo medan andra tycker om att sjunga solo för att synas och stå i centrum. Flickorna har ett intresse i körsången medan pojkarna sjunger på fritiden tillsammans med kompisar. Pojkarna tycker att undervisningen är styrd och efterfrågar att välja musik som de själva gillar. Elever som går i den ordinarie undervisningen motiveras av betyg medan elever i musikklass har andra motiverande faktorer som till exempel intresset för musiken. Lärarna menar att det är viktigt att ge eleverna möjlighet att visa olika typer av kunskap och redogöra för vilken kunskap som krävs. / In my practice, I have experienced that many students experience the singing as difficult. There are several reasons why students choose to sing or not. In my study, I want to explore the underlying factors for it. Aspects that are discussed are genealogy, identity and self-image, self-confidence, motivation, the curriculum, grades and assessment, and didactics. In the study, I am interested in how both students and teachers' perceptions about singing in elementary school. A phenomenographic qualitative approach based on focus groups and individual interviews with students and teachers has been applied in the research. The result shows both differences and similarities between boys’ and girls' perceptions about singing. Many students appreciate singing together to get a sense of security, which is like teachers' perceptions. Some students do not like to be in the center and sing solo while others like to sing solo to be seen and center. The girls have an interest in the choral singing while the boys sing in their spare time with friends. The boys think that the teaching is guided, they want to choose music that they like. Students who attend regular education class are motivated by grades while students in music class have other thoughts, like the interest in mind. The teachers believe that it is important to give thes tudents the opportunity to show different types of knowledge and explain what knowledge is required.

This dissertation provides a guide for appropriate use of North American art song settings of biblical psalms for solo voice written after 1950 in the worship services of Christian faiths. The songs analyzed are for all voice parts and a variety of accompanying ensembles. The placement of each song on a specific calendar day is guided by the individual church calendars and lectionaries, on the prevalent themes of the text, and the characteristics of the musical setting. Performance of these songs only in a concert setting limits their usefulness for singers, voice teachers, and music directors alike. A new and worthy performing context can be established by analyzing the text and musical settings.

A song cycle for baritone and mixed chamber ensemble, "Songs about Words" consists of five songs for everyday concepts and subjects, and explores deeper themes of communication and identity. The ensemble consists of piano, accordion, tenor saxophone, percussion and double bass. The text was inspired by Pablo Neruda and written by the composer.

Scholarship on medieval contrafacture has long been engaged in the Kontrafakturjagd, the hunt for songs whose textual and structural similarities suggest they might also share melodies. By making melodies freely exchangeable, this practice has tended to treat the music of medieval song as if it were an empty vessel, overlooking the ways in which contrafacta might construct musical meaning to serve various political, devotional, or aesthetic ends. Rather than making a case for contrafacture among songs whose shared melodies are questionable, this dissertation provides a context rich perspective on certain groups of 'close contrafacta' - songs whose status as contrafacta is already known and supported by strong musical, textual, and contextual evidence. In five case studies, all of which take at least one song from the trouvère repertory, and which represent the most common contrafact genres - political serventois, Marian song, and crusade song - I consider the ways in which their melodies could signify. More specifically, I examine the interrelated layers of the melody's performed sound structures, its cuing of previous texts on the listener, and its integration of old and new contexts. The case studies reveal a culture that cared about melodic association and used it in sophisticated ways. In the first two chapters, which address political contrafacture, the music's textual associations form a background against which the contrafact text reacts ironically, while its melodic origins evoke precise geopolitical loyalties or antagonisms. The third and fourth chapters on Marian song, conversely, point toward efforts to intensify and develop a song's meaning through contrafacture, while the fifth chapter's contrafact text cites its own affective reason for melodic re-use. In all case studies, not only does the music cue text and context synoptically; its performed structures also intensify and subvert textual meanings, showing how music can enrich literary interpretations of medieval song.

The majority of repertoire catalogs for singers, printed and digital, often list works by voice type, language, and/or genre. The 21st century has seen an emergence of online classical music catalogs where the user can seek repertoire by searching composers from underrepresented communities (i.e., women, Black, LGBTQ, Latinx). What does not currently exist is a resource that catalogs songs for solo voice dealing specifically with gay subject matter. This dissertation surveys seventeen 21st century gay-themed art songs by four living American composers: David Del Tredici, Ben Moore, Clint Borzoni, and Gary Schocker. Each chapter introduces a different composer and a select representation of their gay-themed art songs. Each entry includes text analysis based on the composer's and author's intentions and a brief analysis to determine pedagogical and musical difficulty. It is my intent that this document will facilitate a much-needed resource and encourage further study, promotion, and performance of voice works with gay themes. Moreover, I hope that it will serve as a tool for the applied voice teacher to assist in the vocal and artistic development of their students through broader repertoire choices.

Der Buchfinkengesang wurde in Potsdam in zwei Hauptpopulationen über drei Jahre aufgenommen. Jedes Individuum wurde eindeutig am individuellen Strophentypenrepertoire identifiziert. Ein weiterer Punkt der die individuelle Wiedererkennung bestätigt ist die hohe Standorttreue der adulten Männchen. Die beschriebene Methode eignet sich für die Untersuchung von gesamten Populationen, um den Wandel des Gesangs von Populationen in Raum und Zeit zu beschreiben.<br /> <br /> Die Haupterkenntnisse der Arbeit sind:<br /> <br /> - Die Gesamtanzahl der Grundstrophentypen innerhalb einer Population bleibt über Jahre konstant.<br /> - Die relative Häufigkeit jedes einzelnen Strophentyps variiert von Jahr zu Jahr und von Population zu Population.<br /> - Gesangslernen erfolgt exakt mit einem Korrektheitsgrad von mindestens 96%.<br /> - Das Song-Sharing ist innerhalb der Population hoch. <br /> Die diskutierten Mechanismen für das Song-Sharing sind: Die Lebenserwartung, das Zugverhalten, das Lernverhalten, die Etabliertheit von Strophentypen, Weibchenpräferenzen und die Reaktionen der territorialen Männchen.<br /> - Weiterhin wurde ein Modell zur kulturellen Evolution des Buchfinkengesangs programmiert, um die Rolle der Einflussfaktoren, wie Fehlerquote, Abwanderungsrate und Laufzeit zu ermitteln.<br /> Der Wandel des Dialektes erfolgt graduell in Raum und Zeit. Daher sind keine scharfen Dialektgrenzen anzutreffen. Trotz dieser Tatsache markieren die etablierten Strophentypen die Population.<br /> 50 % der Juvenilen siedeln am Geburtsort, auf diese Weise bleibt der Dialekt erhalten und Inzest wird vermieden.<br /> -Analysiert man das Repertoire benachbarten Männchen bei isolierten Alleen, so entspricht die Gesangsangleichung in etwa dem Zufall.<br /> -Intraindividuelle Vergleiche der quantitativen Parameter des jeweiligen Strophentyps wurden saisonal und annuell durchgeführt.<br /> Saisonal konnten für einen Strophentyp ein Trend ermittelt werden. Bei jährlichen Vergleichen konnten intraindividuell ausschließlich nicht signifikante Ergebnisse ermittelt werden, wohingegen die interindividuelle Variation in zwei Fällen signifikant war. In einem Fall bestand ein Trend und in einem weiteren Fall war die Variationsunterschiede nicht signifikant.<br /> - Der Verlauf der Brutsaison lässt sich an der jährlichen Gesangsaktivität nachvollziehen. / Chaffinch song was recorded in Potsdam in two major populations of chaffinches over a period of three years. Each male was identified unambiguously because of their individual song type repertoires. These are usually easy to distinguish from sonagrams as the variation is discontinuous. A further point for individual recognition is the fixed territorial behaviour of adult males. The described method is employed to examine whole populations and to observe changes with space and time in the song of a population. <br /> <br /> The major findings of the study are:<br /> <br /> - The total amount of basic song types in each population is constant over years.<br /> - The quantity of each basic song type is different and varies from year to year and from population to population.<br /> - Song copying is extremely accurate on at least 96% of occasions.<br /> - Song-type sharing is high within populations. Discussed mechanisms for song neighbourhoods are: expectation of life, semi-migratory behaviour, learning skills, establishment of song types, female choice and male vs male interaction. Furthermore a model of cultural evolution of chaffinch song was programmed to determine the role of factors like error rate, rate of emigration and running time. The changes are gradual in space and time. Hence the dialect borders are smooth. Despite this fact established song types mark the population. As every second juvenile bird settles in the population of his birth inbreeding is avoided and the dialect structure is retained.<br /> - Analysing the repertoires of neighbouring males (&ldquo;next door neighbours&rdquo;) in isolated avenues to examine mutual influences suggests that these have the same amount of song types in common than would be expected by chance.<br /> - Within intraindividual comparisons the quantitative parameters of the same song types remain seasonal and annual constant, whereas interindividual variations within the same song tip are statistically significant.<br /> - The breeding biology of the chaffinch can be observed by seasonal singing activity during the breeding cycle.

No description available.