This thesis documents the early history of the City of Sydney Eisteddfod from its beginning in 1933 until it recessed in 1941 for the duration of the Pacific War. Eisteddfods had long been commonplace in Australia, but this competition began for political rather than cultural reasons in 1932, when organisers of the Harbour Bridge celebrations decided that since the spectacular edifice had made Sydney an icon on the world map, the city needed to cultivate a more sophisticated image. In observing events that led to its establishment, the project looks at the technological revolution of the 1920s and the social upheaval of the jazz age. This thesis observes that Sydney competition was Welsh only in name and grew from the political roots of the high and lowbrow debates that had come to divide society. In examining these issues, this thesis focuses on the Sydney contest, the talent that rose from its stages and the cultural revival that exploded in its wake. Written as a narrative history, this thesis draws mostly from empirical sources. It includes a statistical analysis and a substantial amount of original material / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This research project was sparked by the observed patterns of participation in the schools choral eisteddfodau organised by the South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod (SASCE) and the Bosveld Kunstefees by schools in the Polokwane cluster of Circuits, Capricorn District of Limpopo Province - South Africa. The projected image of participation was that participation was divided along racial lines, whereby SASCE events were attended by blacks, found at township and rural schools, whereas former Model C schools attended the Bosveld Kunstefees eisteddfodau. The study intended to reveal whether the projected racial image was founded on racism itself, after 20 years the democratic dispensation, or whether other factors such as choral aptitude, preference of choral style, and/or cultural identity in a pluralistic society influenced such participation. Data were collected and qualitatively analysed by means of a structured questionnaire administered to school principals, choir masters/mistresses and secondary school choristers whose schools participated in either of the eisteddfodau between 2009 and 2011. Findings and recommendations are then offered for the research questions asked, following the analysis of collected data. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Music / MMus / Unrestricted