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The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the "lived experience" of choral music teacher educators (MTEs) in hybrid positions at tier 1 research universities. After interviews with eight choral MTEs from across the United States, three themes emerged from our data: inseparable identity components, reciprocity of selves, and externally derived tension. Inseparable identity components described the ways in which participants sought to align the components of their job with their holistic teacher–researcher–conductor identities. Reciprocity of selves referred to how participants' teacher, researcher, and conductor selves informed and were informed by each other. Finally, participants maintained security in their own holistic sense of self but experienced externally derived tension as they navigated the structural divide of performance and education in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trans composers, like other people marginalized by race, gender, or sexuality, are often caught in the trap of identity constructs, which both envoice minorities and also pigeonhole their possible range of musical expression. In this essay on US-based transgender Indigenous Mexican choral composer Mari Esabel Valverde, I let my consideration of "trans music theory" be guided by her view that writers have sensationalized trans identity, and that while she celebrates trans lives in her choral work Our Phoenix (2016), she is not attempting to create music that "sounds" transgender. With Valverde in mind, I construct an intersectional interpretive framework that calls for various kind of limits (the limits of queering, of authorial subjectivity, and of the notion of "unconscious" expression of identity) and proposes essential conditions (the centrality of the voices, bodies, and musical structures of trans composers) that create an ethical environment for a compassionate trans music theory to emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The voice plays a paradoxical role – it is inclusive because everyone has one, and it is exclusive as it is used to falsely separate 'singers' and 'non-singers'. A new choral movement has emerged, with a low threshold for participation and inclusive practices, where one of the early offerings was Everyone Can Sing (ECS) in Norway. As a low-threshold choir, it focused on solid vocal training as well as the advanced features of the music. This study investigates to what extent this blended choral pedagogy is realised and differs from more traditional choirs. A quantitative analysis of ECS singers (N = 495) was done, comparing it with a more experienced choir (N = 81) and elite choirs (N = 106). The results show that a blended approach in low-threshold-choirs is possible and that attention to musical refinement grows with experience. The article positions such low-threshold choirs within key choral pedagogic positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distance learning continues to gain popularity among musical specialties due to the necessity and advantages of this training format. This study aimed to study students' experience of distance learning in Choral Performance. To this end, questioning, testing, and quasi-experiment methods were applied. The research involved 88 students from the Taizhou University. It was revealed that students studying choral art generally positively perceived the introduction of distance learning (90% of respondents were satisfied with the learning experience). Most participants noted that the advantage of this education format is the saving of time they would have spent on the road to the educational institution. A significant statistical difference (t = 6.133) was observed between the indicators of the average progress of university students in the period of face-to-face education (M = 84.97 ± 5.73) and during distance learning (M = 69.51 ± 5.41). The present findings are helpful for administrations of educational institutions to establish distance learning processes in musical disciplines and not only. In future research, exploring as many factors as possible that can affect teaching and learning in a distance format is essential. Moreover, the effectiveness of various technologies gradually introduced in distance music education, namely a virtual choir and multiple applications, platforms, and music systems, can be subject to the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022, the Choir of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Cluj-Napoca celebrated 100 years of uninterrupted activity in the field of church music. The centenary of the Cluj choir can be considered a particularly important event, both for the Transylvanian musical space and for the tradition of Romanian choral music. Founded in 1922, the Metropolitan Cathedral Choir has had an outstanding musical career, having performed countless religious concerts, cultural and missionary activities, and participated in religious and secular ceremonies. The recognition of the artistic contribution of the Metropolitan Choir is largely due to its prolific activity in the musical field, which has led to increased visibility, both locally and nationally. With a constant activity of 100 years, the Cathedral Choir has had at the conductor's desk, but also among the choristers, outstanding personalities of Romanian music. Among those who have led its musical destiny we remember: Gheorghe Dima, Vasile Petrascu, Augustin Bena, Sava Golumba, Ioan Brie, Vasile Stanciu. Through the prestige it has acquired over time, the Metropolitan Cathedral Choir has become a benchmark for church choirs in the Diocese of Vad, Feleac and Cluj, being a benchmark of mastery and virtuosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at highlighting the choral chant in the Orthodox church of Bessarabia. Sacred music is a cultural area that covers the fundamental human values able to build and to perfect the complex cultural approach of human life. The spiritual history of Moldavia is definitely marked by an ancient original musical art, incorporated in an infinite gamut of emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the work is to reveal the genre-stylistic and spiritual-content instructions of the German choral cantata and the peculiarities of its existence in the musical-historical tradition of the 18th-19th centuries. The methodology of the work has a complex nature and is based on a combination of the principles of interdisciplinary, historical-typological, hermeneutic, art history and genre-stylistic research methods. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that, for the first time, it offers a generalisation of the poetic-intonational specificity of the German spiritual cantata of the 18th-19th centuries and its genre-stylistic metamorphoses in the specified period. Conclusions. The genre specificity of the German spiritual cantata is determined by its contact with the liturgical practice of the German Protestant church. This genre is directly related to the church sermon and therefore was called "sermon music", "motet", "concert", "dialogue", summarised by the concept of Hauptmusik ("Main music of the day"). The contact of the German spiritual cantata with its Italian analogues and opera did not exclude the presence of original features in it, among which the Protestant chorale, based on traditional for the 18th-19th centuries, dominates. polyphonic forms, on the significant role of the instrumental beginning. An essential feature of the genre can be considered its figurative and semantic focus on the reproduction of the sacred aspects of a person's life path, their spiritual ascent-transformation, interpreted in the context of the instructions of the Lutheran faith. The German romantic cantata, represented in the works of R. Schumann, F. Mendelssohn, R. Wagner, and J. Brahms, on the one hand, reflected a wide genre and style spectrum of the creative searches of the named authors, within the framework of which the cantata was synthesised with the typology of various genres - from chamber a vocal cycle, a leader's play up to an oratorio, a dramatic scene (in the works of R. Schuman). On the other hand, the romantics' appeal to the poetics of the choral cantata symbolised the revival of the German spiritual and musical tradition, summarised by the name of J. S. Bach, which was directly reproduced in the cantata compositions of F. Mendelssohn, R. Wagner ("The Brotherly Meal of the Apostles") and works of Y. Brahms. Despite all the differences in the textual basis of the works of the named authors and their aesthetic guidelines (Y. V. Goethe, M. Horn, T. Moore, paraphrases of biblical texts), their unifying quality is the "memory of the genre", focused on the reproduction of the individual's spiritual path and the high didactic and ethical meaning of their inner transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is to identify the distinctive features of the embodiment of the spiritual content of Psalm No. 8 in the choral works ―Lord, Our Master‖ by Yevhen Stankovych and ―Psalm No. 8‖ by Oleksandr Yakovchuk. The research methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach that includes historical-cultural, religious-philosophical, textual, and musicological aspects. The methods employed include historical, sociocultural, textual, musicological, interpretative, and comparative approaches. Scientific novelty. For the first time, different interpretations of the spiritual content of Psalm No. 8 in contemporary Ukrainian choral music are considered. Based on a comparative analysis of Y. Stankovych's choral concert ―Lord, Our Master‖ for mixed a cappella choir and O. Yakovchuk's choral miniature ―Psalm No. 8‖ for solo tenor and male a cappella choir, distinct and common features in the figurative-emotional, dramaturgical, and stylistic aspects of these works are revealed. Conclusions. It was found that the composers revealed the figurative-emotional, substantive, and semantic potential of the psalm text in different ways. The differences in interpretation concern the choice of genre, performance ensemble, text selection, embodiment of figurative content, emotional filling, and textural techniques. The common features of both works are manifested in the use of a cappella choir, a tendency towards harmonic colourfulness, the organic combination of chordal structure, imitative polyphony techniques, and folk polyphony. It is proven that the concept of the choral concert implied an elevated, solemn sound, while the choral miniature aimed for deep meditative concentration in prayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anadolu University Journal of Art & Design / Sanat & Tasarım is the property of Anadolu University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of the research is to determine the stylistic purpose of J. Rutter's compositions, made in different years, but united by a spiritual genre indicator, which since the beginning of the last century has distinguished the multi-genre productions of English composers, from E. Elgar to B. Britten, W. Walter, M. Tippett and Rutter's teacher - J. Tavener. The methodological basis of the study is the intonation approach, as it was noted in the works of B. Asaf'ev's followers in Ukraine (see the publications of D. Androsova, O. Markova, O. Muravska, A. Sokolova), as well as based on the development of choral performance of the Odessa school (the works of V. Lugovenko, H. Shpak, other scientists). The scientific novelty of the work is noted in the originality of the presentation of the meaning of the stylistic diffusions of the choral heritage of England of the 20th century, from non-classical sections to the post-avant-garde eclecticism of the break of the 20th-21st centuries and the basic understanding of the national church expressive component in them, which provided and provides an independent stylistic taste with a corresponding typological combination, corresponding to the playful mosaic of post-avant-garde and post-post-avant-garde today. Conclusions. The stylistic eclecticism of the neobaroque buildings of the past century and the neo-Gothic trends of the beginning of the 21st century is based, firstly, on the religious and practical assimilation of the products of the English Renaissance of the 20th century as the second Celtic Renaissance on the lands of Britain-England against the background of the existence of post-Victorian trends towards the Irish-British Orthodox origins of national culture. And, secondly, the validity of the spiritual and choral work of England at the beginning of the 21st century and within its limits the nomination of such masters as J. Tavener and J. Rutter related by the circumstances of their life and work to the neo-gothic tendencies of "absorption" of artistic self-sufficiency by the compensatory social need for compositions is indicated, which stand on the "borderline" of the spiritual-applied and spiritual spheres and in which the antithetical directions of styles and types of creativity are concentrated, up to the triumph in the works of J. Rutter of the fullness of popular thinking in the perspective of the seriousness of the spiritual glory of chorale-anthems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genre of the concerto arose at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries in church music as a choral work, in which instrumental accompaniment was often used. The presence of an instrumental part in a spiritual concert had a great influence on the emergence and development of the instrumental version of the instrumental genre of the concert. The purpose of the article is to highlight the ways of modification and features of the instrumental concert genre during the period of stylistic transition from Baroque to Classicism. The research methodology is based on a comprehensive approach based on historical-cultural, hermeneutic and music-theoretical research methods. The main theoretical methods of work are: historical-comparative, genre-stylistic, systematisation, generalisation, analysis. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that questions of the evolution of the instrumental concert are considered in the context of stylistic changes from Baroque to Classicism. Special attention is paid to intra-genre changes, which have not been received due attention by musicologists. Conclusions. The genre of the instrumental concert of the transition period from Baroque to Classicism is marked by a certain dual character. First of all, this manifests itself at the level of form, which is characterised by both ritornello and sonata principles of thematic organisation. Along with the alternating exposition of sections of the sonata form by the orchestra and by the soloist, which comes from the baroque concerto grosso, in the early classical samples of the instrumental concert, there is a dialogic type of exposition of the material at the level of thematism, approved in the classical samples. The coming to the fore and dominance of the soloist in the concert causes a change in the texture of the solo part, which acquires extraordinary virtuosity and improvisation. This affects the strengthening of the role of the soloist, the rejection of his participation in the tutti, leadership in the presentation of the material, which leads to the multiplicity and diversity of thematics. At the same time, the orchestra, in addition to performing an accompanying function in support of the soloist, gets the opportunity to "express" itself in independent "plays", thereby violating the clear distribution of the sections of the sonata form. The specified transformations contributed to the stratification of the sound space and the duality of its perception, characteristic of the classic models of the genre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on topics including concept of community music in the Italian context; the importance of music making in instrumental and vocal ensembles; and the theory and practice of music for social change.

This qualitative study explores the intricate dynamics between students' passion for music and their motivation in higher education music performance classes. Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), the research involves in-depth interviews with fifteen undergraduate music performance majors. The study identifies five pivotal themes shaping students' motivation. The theme of personal music connections emphasises the profound impact of individualised relationships with music, highlighting the significance of nurturing personal and emotional dimensions within musical connections. Exposure to diverse musical styles emerges as a transformative factor, broadening students' musical horizons and significantly influencing their motivation. Involvement in extracurricular music activities is identified as a powerful motivator, providing real-world experiences that enhance students' passion for music performance. The theme of supportive interactions highlights the critical role played by educators, peers, and the overall learning environment in shaping students' motivation. Cultivating a strong personal bond with music accentuates the profound impact of an individualised and emotionally resonant connection with music on students' motivation within the educational context. These findings underscore the vital role of cultivating enthusiasm, providing diverse musical experiences, and fostering supportive environments to enhance motivation in higher education music performance classes. The implications extend to educators, enabling them to design more engaging and effective music programs, enriching the overall educational experience for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The liturgical singing of the Romanian Orthodox Church is monodic, of the Byzantine tradition. From the 19th century, under the influence of the Russian Orthodox Church, multiple voices choral singing penetrates the Romanian worship establishments. The beginnings were timid, isolated, from private initiatives and sometimes encountering the hostility of conservative ecclesiastical traditionalism. After 1959, the introduction of choral singing in the United Romanian Principalities was to be facilitated by state legislation. Choral singing would be used predominantly for the office of the Holy Liturgy. In finding a choral style suitable for the orthodox liturgical ceremonial, three main stylistic directions were outlined, among which the classicalromantic influence created a generous and varied repertoire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the second half of the twelfth century until the late thirteenth century, the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was the setting of a transformative episode in the history of music. On dozens of feast days in the cathedral's liturgical year, the chants of the Mass and Office were sung in elaborate polyphony [ organum ]. The story of "Notre-Dame" polyphony is familiar, but it has had little to say about the musicians behind this repertory. This article reconstructs a small community of polyphonic masters—known, in Latin, as organistae —that took shape on the Left Bank of Paris between about 1190 and 1260. Scholars have come to imagine these musicians as the cathedral's impoverished choral clerks, but I argue that organistae were supported, until about 1230, by lucrative ecclesiastical benefices; their lordly patrons were the bishops of Paris. Drawing upon newly uncovered archival evidence, I show that these ties to the cathedral began to fray in the 1230s and 1240s. In this period, I suggest, organistae pivoted away from the cathedral, finding new patrons in their own Left Bank neighborhoods. It was not until the 1260s, as they began to enter the ranks of Notre-Dame's choral clergy, that organistae came to resemble the portrait of them that has prevailed in the scholarship. In general, this article argues that the cultivation of polyphony in thirteenth-century Paris was tied to the social world of organistae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses compositional methods and interpretive choices behind "new ancient music" for Euripides' Helen , how it supports or complicates the play's musical design as previously understood, and how a newly musicalized "choral plot" can affect audience experience, ancient and modern. It is intended to complement performance recordings and scores, materials which, taken together, may help one understand the ancient experience of Greek dramatic music generally, or to evaluate musical effects of this specific play. It may also be useful for restaging Helen with this music, or new compositions of one's own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Choral music and the sacred have been intertwined since the Middle Ages. With the increasing secularisation of society, it is notable that the sacred choral canon continues to expand and attract audiences in religious and secular spaces, underlining the enduring importance of tradition and the human desire to search for something beyond our existence. The practice of setting sacred texts to music abounds in the work of contemporary composers, continuing the historic tradition into the present day via a wide range of compositional and stylistic approaches. In his sacred works, Irish composer Eoghan Desmond achieves a sound that fuses the past and present, exhibiting both the visceral and meditative aspects associated with the texts that he sets. This article focuses on the composer's choral work Nothing in Vain (2021), a setting of John Henry Newman's 'A Meditation on Trust in God'. Through critical score analysis, I highlight Desmond's ability to reflect Newman's devotion to God and to evoke a sense of the spiritual through his formal organisation and application of harmonic, rhythmic, and textural techniques, drawing on influences from the Renaissance tradition, the contemporary style of ambient music, and the work of well-known composer James MacMillan. Desmond's synthesis of ancient and contemporary compositional practices invites all listeners to engage in this musical meditation and contemplate the message of the spiritual text. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are considered the features of the Cherubikons as a special troparion in the system of Orthodox worship. It is emphasized that the singing of the Cherubikon is characterized by extraordinary splendor and solemnity; historically, it always stood out noticeably from other chants. It is indicated that the style of the Cherubikons of various stages of the development of the liturgical singing was influenced by the general style panorama of that era. It is determined that, despite this, during each of the historical eras, significant samples of the Cherubikon were created, which retain visible connections with the genre invariant, based on the reliance on the text, strophic and melodiousness. It is determined that the Cherubikons performed in churches today are stylistically simple, but very convenient for choral singing. Separately allocated spiritual music, written not for church use, but for concert performances by modern composers. It is revealed that Cherubikons songs written by modern Ukrainian composers belong to sacred music and have no direct links with liturgical practice. They are individual author’s implement of the canonical text. The musical language of these Cherubikons is extremely complex and involves the use of modern composition techniques. This allows composers to embody the symbolism of the content of the liturgical text and a new look at the traditions of Christian singing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this service-learning action research study was to develop and investigate after-school individualised vocal lessons for secondary students aged 14–18 years (n = 15) taught by preservice music educators (PMEs) (n = 12) in the United States. In service learning, all parties should benefit from the experience while addressing curricular and community needs. Therefore, our intentions were to: (a) improve secondary student preparedness for solo experiences, (b) provide an authentic teaching experience to improve the quality of instruction given by PMEs, and (c) develop a mutually beneficial and collaborative service-learning experience. The following themes emerged from the data: (a) perceptions of teaching disposition – such as confidence, interpersonal skills and enthusiasm; (b) perceptions of teaching skills – such as student engagement, questioning techniques and responsive teaching; and (c) perceptions of pedagogical content knowledge – such as vocal anatomy, physiology and pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reveal normative prototypes undergirding various formal sections, this article introduces the 'Anchoring vi Schema': a medium length major-mode passage (typically eight or 16 bars) that initiates on an unambiguous hypermetric downbeat (for example, the beginning of a verse or chorus). The Anchoring vi Schema must begin with tonic harmony and deploy submediant harmony at its midpoint – the second most hypermetrically strong beat. The identification of the Anchoring vi Schema enables closer readings of phrase expansion and deletion in popular music. A comparison of the common harmonies used in eight- and 16-measure passages reveals some striking similarities, particularly in terms of where tonic and subdominant chords are likely to occur. Although the endings of formal sections can take a variety of paths – including arriving at various tonal goals within a range of possible times – hypermetrically accented beginnings and midpoints show greater consistency in their organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Popular songs are ubiquitous in the lives of school-age children, but the construction of traditional school music curricula does not always provide an adequate framework for studying them. In particular, the salience of words qua lyrics is an inescapable feature of popular songs, and recognizing the musical properties of those lyrics opens for study an important dimension of the real-world music that students of all ages engage so readily. Rather than treating song lyrics as separate from the music, I here attempt to establish that lyrics can be treated as musical entities, as demonstrated in scholarship from popular music theorists and musicologists that highlights the musical properties of song lyrics and the musicianship of those who write them. Then, I argue that existing school curricula could do more to give lyrics their musical due, which would not only enhance the teaching and learning of popular songwriting itself, but also may expand notions of what counts as music more broadly, with benefits for school music curricula overall, perhaps especially in the domains of choral and general music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of educational software characteristics on software performance through the mediating role of user acceptance. Our approach allows for a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of educational software by bridging the fields of educational technology, psychology, and human–computer interaction, offering a holistic perspective on software adoption and performance. This study is based on a sample collected from public and private education institutes in Northern Greece and on data obtained from 236 users. The statistical method employed is structural equation models (SEMs), via SPSS—AMOS estimation. The findings of this study suggest that user acceptance and performance appraisal are exceptionally interrelated in regard to educational applications. The study argues that user acceptance is positively related to the performance of educational software and constitutes the nested epicenter mediating construct in the educational software characteristics. Additional findings, such as computer-familiar users and users from the field of choral music, are positively related to the performance of the educational software. Our conclusions help in understanding the psychological and behavioral aspects of technology adoption in the educational setting. Findings are discussed in terms of their practical usefulness in education and further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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