The Dutch born organist, conductor, music pedagogue, church musician and composer, Willem Mathlener left a rich inheritance in the field of organ music in South Africa. He was born in 1909 in Delft in the Netherlands and distinguished himself as an organist and conductor in the thirties and forties of the previous century. He answered the calling of the Nederduitsch Reformed Church in South Africa to improve the standard of church music by immigrating to South Africa in 1948 at the age of 39. He settled in Vereeniging as a music teacher and organist from where he started to introduce his ideas about church music to the Nederduitsch Reformed Church and others. This led to the establishment of the Council for Church Music in 1951. Three years later the Church Music School in Krugersdorp was founded. This institution developed to such an extent that the Conservatoire for Music, Pretoria was established in 1960, the institution that Mathlener was mostly associated with. He implemented his beliefs about musical training which was the result of his own training at a European Conservatoire at both these institutions. As the secretary of the Council for Church Music he had a profound influence on the development and promotion of church music in South Africa. He assisted in the compilation of the Psalm and Hymn book of 1978 by supplying a large number of harmonisations for Hymns in this volume. As an organ advisor he designed about 200 organs. Mathlener’s talent as a composer developed naturally through his capacity as church musician and pedagogue. He composed organ music that can be used supplementary to the organist’s task as accompanist. His piano music fills the need for short study pieces for piano tuition. Since the majority of Mathlener’s compositions do not exceed 30 bars he can be considered to be a miniaturist. His choral arrangements show for the most part a diatonic tonality and a contrapuntal texture which blends in with the style of music for liturgical use. A Psalm or Hymn melody forms mainly the basis for his organ music. Mathlener’s large compositional output which comprises 223 choral harmonisations, 175 works for organ, 53 works for piano and 12 vocal works created the need for a system to arrange his compositions in an orderly fashion. Some of his compositions were published in volumes and others are single unpublished works. The catalogue attempts to arrange Mathlener’s compositions in a logical way thus forming a comprehensive picture of the oeuvre of this composer as well as providing a useful reference tool for organists and other interested people. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / tm2015 / Music / MA / Unrestricted

This study is unique as the basic research acknowledges the chorale prelude as a genre in South Africa. The compilation of a catalogue of organ chorale preludes by South African composers is also a first and important contribution to the knowledge of this genre. The history of the organ in South Africa is an integral part of this study and offers a background and context for the research on this specific category of music. Knowledge of the contributions to this genre in South Africa is however limited because the available literature on these topics is dated. Due to the restricted publishing opportunities in South Africa, works are unpublished or informally published and not re-printed or even published in other countries. All available literature was thoroughly researched whereafter there was a need to extrapolate the unsatisfactory data with the primary research. Many composers and organ specialists were approached and different library collections were consulted. The church plays a key role in the history of the organ in South Africa, and this results in the fact that most organ repertoire, by South African composers, is liturgical (church) music. Unfortunately, knowledge of early compositions is unknown and the first documented chorale preludes date from the late 19th and early 20th century. It is only since the middle of the 20th century that South African composers have been actively contributing to the genre reaching a climax during 2010 and 2011 when two volumes of chorale preludes were published by the Suider-Afrikaanse Kerkorrelistevereniging (SAKOV). 1170 Chorale preludes by 78 composers are catalogued with a chronological discussion of the key works, with reference to different styles and forms, as a well-developed genre. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / Music / unrestricted

AFRIKAANS : Hendrik (“Henk”) Temmingh word vandag gereken as een van Suid-Afrika se mees toonaangewende orrelkomponiste. Hy het sy veelsydigheid bewys en veral gevestig geraak as ’n noemenswaardige figuur op die gebied van musiekwetenskap, improvisasiekuns en orrelmusiek. Die doel van die studie is om aan te toon dat Temmingh se oeuvre ’n volledige katalogus van die orrelwerke regverdig en om so ’n dokument saam te stel. Om ’n volledige en juiste biografie van die komponis op te stel, word ’n verdere leemte gevul. ’n Oorsig van Suid-Afrikaanse orrelmusiek en komponiste gee ’n blik oor hoe, waar en in watter mate Temmingh funksioneer as ’n ware Suid-Afrikaanse komponis, alhoewel hy in Nederland gebore is. Addisionele inligting, veral nuwe data oor Suid- Afrikaanse orrelkomponiste soos geboorte- en sterfdatums, word in die dokument genoem. Suid-Afrikaanse komponiste word volgens herkoms en nasionaliteit in drie groepe ingedeel. Eie terminologie word hieraan toegeken. Min bronne oor Temmingh is beskikbaar. Daarom is hierdie mini-verhandeling grootliks met die hulp van die komponis saamgestel. Die gebrek aan genoeg literatuur oor Suid-Afrikaanse orrelmusiek en -komponiste het ’n uitdaging gebied vir die skrywer. Met behulp van die chronologiese katalogus van Temmingh se orrelwerke kan ’n onmiddellike oorsig van sy bydrae as orrelkomponis verkry word. Dit behoort musiekbiblioteke en orreliste te help om hulle onvolledige versamelings aan te vul. Hierbenewens sal die nuut-toegekende katalogusnommers ’n aanduiding gee van waar die betrokke orrelwerke chronologies by Temmingh se oeuvre inpas. ENGLISH : Hendrik (“Henk”) Temmingh can be regarded as one of South Africa’s leading organ composers. He showed versatility and established himself as a significant figure in the field of musicology, improvisation and organ music. The aim of the mini-dissertation is to show how Temmingh’s oeuvre justifies a complete catalogue of the organ works, and to compile such a document. Putting together an accurate biography of the composer, will fill another gap. A survey of South African organ music and composers indicate how, where and to what extent Temmingh functions as a true South African composer, although he was born in the Netherlands. Additional information, especially new data regarding South African organ composers such as dates of birth and death, is mentioned in the document. South African composers are divided into three groups according to origin and nationality. Own terminology is allocated to these. Few sources concerning Temmingh are available. Therefore this mini-dissertation was mainly compiled with the help of the composer. The scarcity of enough literature on South African organ music and composers was a challenge for the writer. An immediate summary of Temmingh’s contribution as an organ composer can be obtained with the help of the chronological catalogue of Temmingh’s organ works. This will help music libraries and organists to supplement their incomplete collections. Apart from this, newly allocated catalogue numbers will give an indication of where the works concerned fit in chronologically in Temmingh’s oeuvre. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Music / unrestricted