Music Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2796
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Item Requiem, for boy soprano, soprano, baritone, chorus, and orchestra(2015) Bryant, Alexandra; Wilson, Mark E; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Requiem, for boy soprano, soprano, baritone, chorus, and full orchestra, was composed in honor of my mother and brother, both of whom passed away in the final fourteen months of my doctoral studies. The work highlights much of the traditional requiem text while incorporating Biblical texts as well as excerpts from Mary Sydney Herbert's, O. The work lasts approximately 40 minutes and utilizes six movements from the standard canon - Introit, Kyrie, Dies Iræ, Agnus Dei, Lux æterna, and In paradisum. The genesis of this work initially envisioned a child soprano portraying a young version of the female soprano, intended to represent my mother as a child - the progression of an individual from childhood to adulthood almost conversing with each other. Unfortunately that vision changed when my brother passed away while in the early stages of composition. It is a powerful image, reminder, and homage to depict the young boy soprano as my brother alongside my mother, the soprano, in the company of the Lord, performed by the baritone. Requiem opens with the Introit, which provides the tonal center of C# for the first and fourth movements. This contributes an important structural element, rather foundation, on which the work revolves. Following the Introit is the Kyrie, which features the solo soprano highlighting the text of Herbert in addition to Kyrie Eleison - Lord have mercy. Immediately contrasting the simple, open sonorities of the Kryie, the Dies Iræ is empowering in tone. Dense textures, colors, and harmonies create a tension heightened through the interaction of the baritone against the full orchestra and chorus. The Agnus Dei provides a feeling of repose with rhapsodic and chant-like qualities, underscoring the boy soprano in stark contrast to the full chorus with a brief response from the soprano. Following the Lux æterna is orchestrated similarly to the Kyrie focusing on strings and percussion with the addition of a few of the woodwinds to accompany the female voices and baritone. Lastly, the In paradisum brings us back, not fully, to the somber yet empowering mood of the opening Introit, coupled with the air of trills and sonorous clusters.Item Lukas Foss's The Prairie (1942): Building Community through Music(2014) Heins, Conrad Paul; Maclary, Edward; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Lukas Foss's The Prairie, a seven-movement cantata for SATB soloists, mixed chorus, and orchestra, is a well-crafted and audience-friendly setting of the poem of the same name by Carl Sandburg. Acclaimed at its 1944 premiere, The Prairie has not enjoyed a robust performance history due in large part to numerous inconsistencies between the score and parts which render the work challenging to perform. Heretofore, each conductor has individually located these inconsistencies and made the necessary adjustments for performances. In this document, resources have been assembled which identify and correct many of the inconsistencies, thus facilitating more performances in the future. The Prairie is an ideal vehicle for a project-based chorus, which is itself an opportunity to create a new community. A correlation may exist between "community" and "vulnerability;" that is, when a choral singer feels comfortably connected to fellow singers, he or she may be more likely to open up to new ways of making sounds for the ultimate service of the music. Results are inconclusive, but the project points to a successful strategy for creating an affirming new community and to positive musical and nonmusical results of intentional community-building.Item THE EFFECT OF A PROGRAM OF PORTABLE ELECTRONIC PIANO KEYBOARD EXPERIENCE ON THE ACQUISITION OF SIGHT-SINGING SKILL IN THE NOVICE HIGH SCHOOL CHORUS(2005-11-23) Parks, Judith Elseroad; Silvey, Philip; Smith, Bret; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The problem was to determine whether a method of aural and visual vocal training that included a program of portable electronic piano keyboard experience would be more effective in teaching sight-singing skills to novice high school chorus students than a method that included only aural and visual vocal training. A sub-problem was to determine whether novice chorus students enjoyed playing electronic keyboards in chorus as a reinforcement experience in sight-singing training. Students were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, tested with the Musical Aptitude Profile, Tonal Imagery, part A, and then trained separately. The experimental group sang repetitions of melodic patterns and utilized techniques associated with the Kodály Method while simultaneously playing keyboard. The comparison group received a similar treatment without using keyboards. The students were pre- and post-tested in sight-singing using the Vocal Sight-Reading Inventory. Results of the Analysis of Covariance using MAP scores as the covariate revealed no significant difference (p<.05) between post-test scores of the two groups. Improvement was noted in 96% of students from pre-test to post-test regardless of grouping. The repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant relationship (p<.006) between aptitude group and post-test score. High aptitude students in both groups were found to benefit more from the training than low aptitude students. High aptitude keyboard group students achieved an average gain score that was 8.67 points higher than the comparison group. Of the total experimental group, 92% enjoyed playing keyboards in chorus. It is recommended that future research be undertaken to study the use of keyboards with advanced high school choruses and with uncertain singers in the high school chorus. Research is also needed to develop graded, valid, and reliable sight-singing tests for use in high school chorus. Techniques of the Kodály Method should be further investigated for use in high school sight-singing training.