Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Pittsburgh, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 369-382).

This thesis, A Portfolio of Original Compositions, contains six musical compositions and accompanying commentary presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Music Composition at the University of Aberdeen in 2017. The focus of these musical works is on the composition of music for the human voice, though there are significant examples of instrumental composition included in the portfolio as well. The focal point of the accompanying commentary is an extended work for choir, string quartet and percussion ensemble titled Endless, which uses verses from Rabindranath Tagore's Nobel-Prize-winning collection of devotional poetry Gitanjali as its textual basis. The other works contained within the portfolio, O Great Beyond, Songs of the Questioner, The Dream I Knew, Ave, maris stella and When daylight came…, are shown in the commentary to be important examples of supplemental research that led to the composition of Endless. The individual chapters of the accompanying commentary discuss various aspects of research-based composition found throughout the portfolio, again with specific emphasis on Endless. These include the approach to form and text setting, the use and development of musical motives, the approach to harmony and specific techniques of orchestration. The commentary also discusses how research into the music of other cultures, most importantly the pitch and ornamental systems employed in Indian music, has informed the composition of the works contained in the portfolio.