Brahms is an important German romantic composer.In additional to his outstanding output in orchestral composition, he also finished thirty-four female choral pieces. Most of them were written during 1857-62, when he was still in Hamburg and dirdcting the Hamburg Women's Chorus. Opus17 belongs to this category. It is for three-part female choir, with harp and horns as the accompaniment. It includes four short pieces, text in German, with the feeling of lament. The form is simple and clear. The texture is mostly choral. The melodies in each vocal part are not difficult; however, it is the harmonic color that gives this work its special taste. This thesis consists of five chapters. The first chapter is the introduction. The second chapter inclides three parts. Part one introduces the life of Brahms. Part two is the chronological discussion of Brahms choral composing. Part three focuses on the female choral works. The third chapter analyzes the four pieces of Brahms Opus 17. The fourth chapter presents suggestions for teaching Opus 17, including vocalization, interpretation, diction, and conducting technique. The fifth chapter draws conclusion from the study.

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The diploma thesis focuses on English repertoire for children's and women's choirs. The initial part deals with development of children's voice. The thesis also includes a survey about the occurrence of English choral works in programmes of elite children's and women's choirs of Czech prestigious choral competitions and festivals (Porta musicae and National festival of school choirs. A chapter describes the development of choral singing on British Isles and introduces contemporary British and Irish authors who write compositions suitable for children's or women's choirs. The crucial part of the thesis is a chart of English choral works. They are classified according to the predetermined criteria (interpretative difficulty, instrumentation/setting, and content/genre). The works come from resources of Czech and Irish libraries, and from the internet. At the end of the thesis, a practically oriented chapter about English pronunciation is included.

The focus of the present research is to examine the socio-pedagogical aspects of Adolphus Hailstork's Five Short Choral Works. The socio-pedagogical benefits of these and similar compositions stem from their potential to encourage more critical cultural engagement of the choral contributions of Black composers in both the classroom and rehearsal hall. While the music on its own merit is worthy of deeper study and analysis, the added benefit to students, teachers and conductors is that the inclusion of diverse groups in music education has proven sociological benefits. Therefore, these five works have potential benefits in terms of representation, cultural engagement, and holistic consideration of American music. Furthermore, if students are given more diverse expressions of diversity, then there is greater likelihood that they will grow socially to appreciate and understand heterogeneous expressions of culture and be more engaged in culture criticism.

Kirke Mechem (b. 1925), American composer, has a musical output which includes a variety of genres, the most prolific being choral music. This document examines selected choral works by Mechem that are set to the poetry of Sara Teasdale (b. 1884, d. 1933). Included are biographical sketches of Mechem and Teasdale. Selected choral works examined include Christmas Carol (1969) SATB and guitar, The Winds of May, five movement choral cycle (1965) SATB, Birds at Dusk, from the choral cycle Winging Wildly (1998) SATB, and Barter (1995) SA, trumpet, piano 4-hands. Analysis of the poetry involved as well as musical attributes and compositional techniques, including meter, form, harmonic structures, wordpainting, rhythmic treatment and melodic characteristics are included in the discussion.

Robert Eugene Ward's impressive body of work encompasses almost every genre of music. He has composed symphonies, operas, large orchestral pieces, chamber works, solo instrumental pieces, extended choral works, short choral pieces, ceremonial works, a ballet, theatre pieces, and even jazz and swing band pieces. Ward's name is recognized in most musical circles but usually only for his opera The Crucible, a work for which he earned a Pulitzer Prize in 1962. In fact, a survey of all the dissertations, articles, interviews, and books written about Robert Ward shows that the vast majority of these studies focus on his most famous opera. His choral works, though they comprise some of Ward's most expressive work, have received little attention. Ward's works show a deliberate use of symbols and allusions. While this use is far from an innovative concept in composition, Ward distinguishes himself with a consistent and purposeful application of these devices establishing an unmistakable interweaving of text, composition, and context. This study examines several of Ward's short choral compositions as they relate to the composer's use of symbols and allusions. Comparisons are made to Ward's use of these devices in his operatic works as a means of determining the consistency of their use throughout his vocal works. Chapter 1 looks at the composer's background, influence, and experience as to their impact on his approach to composition. Chapter 2 lays the groundwork for the discussion of symbols and allusions in music by establishing their basis and function in literary arts in general. The final chapter explores Ward's use of symbols and allusions in four of his choral works.

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Master of Music / School of Music, Theater, and Dance / Virginia Houser / Alexander Tikhonovich Gretchaninoff (1864-1956) was a prolific composer from Russia’s Romantic age who explored the art of musical writing within an extensive number of genres and forms and showed an unusually strong interest in the creation of solo piano pieces for and about children. It is important that musicians in general and pianists in particular investigate his compositions and gain an understanding of their nature and potential usefulness as teaching pieces and as works worthy of public performance. My research consisted of an examination of Gretchaninoff’s autobiography, the study of numerous secondary accounts of his life and personal analysis of piano scores written by the master. My investigation uncovered the almost hidden existence of a large number of attractive musical works which Gretchaninoff wrote for solo piano as well as insightful details concerning the circumstances and motives that inspired the master to compose within the parameters of this genre. The following pieces are performed as part of this presentation: (from Children’s Album, Op. 98) A Tale, In the Camp of the Lead Soldiers, Lead Soldiers on the March, Hobby-Horse, Nurse Is Sick, Lullaby, Little Dance, Dreadful Event, After the Ball, On a Travel Tour, The Little Would-be Hero; (from 12 Little Sketches for Children, Op. 182) Sunrise, With the Fishing Rod, On the Swing, A Country Lad; (from A Child’s Day, Op. 109) Morning Prayer, The Broken Toy, The Happy Return Home; (from The Grandfather’s Book, Op. 119) My Dear Mommy, Swallow Dance, Pussy Is Ill, On the Swing; (from Glass Beads, Op. 123) Morning Promenade, On a Bicycle, Difficult Work; (from Andrusha’s Album, Op. 133) The Dance of the Gold Fishes, My Little Dog Joujou; (from Album Leaves, Op. 139) After Walking; (from Nina’s Album, Op. 141) After Mass, Dreaming, At the Wheel; (from Arabesques, opus number in dispute) Russian Folksong, A Sad Little Story; Sonatina in F major, Op. 110, #2 – 1. Allegro giocoso, 2. Menuet (Moderato grazioso) and Trio, 3. Finale – Allegro.

To summarize in general the use of modes by Vaughan Williams, it could be said that the works that have been analyzed are characterized by frequent use of the traditional modes, but in a very free manner. The "Kyrie" of the Mass, "Pretty Bess," "Jolly Rutterkin" and Te Deum are confined somewhat closely to given modes, with some changes of mode, changes of tonality and use of altered chords. The "Gloria," "Credo," "Sanctus," "Osanna I," "Benedictus," "Osanna II" and "Agnus Dei" of the Mass, however, contain many striking chromaticisms. These chromaticisms are the result of use of many altered chords, a good deal of modulation and much combining of modes, often with startling cross-relations. The use of seventh chords in "Pretty Bess," "Jolly Rutterkin" and Te Deum further complicates the picture from that of the sixteenth century.