O Património musical das catedrais – o órgão e o fundo musical da Sé de Évora

Continua a faltar em Portugal um trabalho sistemático de levantamento exaustivo de fontes musicais relativas a repertórios, sobretudo posteriores a meados do século XVII. O investimento tem privilegiado o Livro Antigo e no que se refere aos fundos musicais portugueses concentra-se no período entre a Idade Média até cerca de 1600. Importa citar a este propósito a base de dados online PEM (Portuguese Early Music Database) que disponibiliza uma série de manuscritos musicais oriundos das principais instituições arquivísticas portuguesas, entre as quais se incluem as sés. Esta plataforma informática encontra-se em construção, tendo vindo a ser gradualmente enriquecida com novas digitalizações acompanhadas das respectivas descrições técnicas e codicológicas, encontrando-se ainda muito por fazer no que respeita à abrangência dos fundos musicais catedralícios. Importa todavia salientar que entre antifonários, santorais, graduais e livros de coro com polifonia, para citar apenas algumas espécies, dispomos já para estudo na PEM de uma série de digitalizações de manuscritos do Arquivo da Sé de Braga (Ms. 28, 32 e 34), um Antifonário dos finais do século XII na Sé de Lamego e dois Livros de Coro em polifonia dos séculos XVII e XVIII oriundos do Fundo Musical da Sé de Évora. Para além das existências na PEM, ressalvam-se vários trabalhos, muitos deles relacionados com essa plataforma informática, resultantes da investigação em musicologia histórica. Mencione-se, a título de exemplo, os Próprios polifónicos quinhentistas produzidos para a Sé de Braga (d´ Alvarenga, 2002: pp. 35-87).

O berimbau de Naná Vasconcelos na música contemporânea

Este trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar a técnica desenvolvida no Berimbau pelo percussionista Naná Vasconcelos em suas composições e, através da escrita, compara-la com a técnica do Berimbau contemporâneo. Será apresentada também a transcrição da música “Mundo Verde” presente no álbum Fragmentos (1997) destacando-a como sendo mais uma peça para o repertório solo deste instrumento; Naná Vasconcelos's Berimbau in contemporany music. Abstract: This work aims to present the technique developed in Berimbau by percussionist Naná Vasconcelos in his compositions and, through writing, compare it the technique in contemporary Berimbau. It will also be presented the transcript on the song "Green World" of the album Fragments (1997) highlighting it as one more piece for solo repertoire of the instrument.

High Culture as Subculture : Brisbane's Contemporary Chamber Music Scene

The aim of the dissertation is to discover the extent to which methodologies and conceptual frameworks used to understand popular culture may also be useful in the attempt to understand contemporary high culture. The dissertation addresses this question through the application of subculture theory to Brisbane’s contemporary chamber music scene, drawing on a detailed case study of the contemporary chamber ensemble Topology and its audiences. The dissertation begins by establishing the logic and necessity of applying cultural studies methodologies to contemporary high culture. This argument is supported by a discussion of the conceptual relationships between cultural studies, high culture, and popular culture, and the methodological consequences of these relationships. In Chapter 2, a brief overview of interdisciplinary approaches to music reveals the central importance of subculture theory, and a detailed survey of the history of cultural studies research into music subcultures follows. Five investigative themes are identified as being crucial to all forms of contemporary subculture theory: the symbolic; the spatial; the social; the temporal; the ideological and political. Chapters 3 and 4 present the findings of the case study as they relate to these five investigative themes of contemporary subculture theory. Chapter 5 synthesises the findings of the previous two chapters, and argues that while participation in contemporary chamber music is not as intense or pervasive as is the case with the most researched street-based youth subcultures, it is nevertheless possible to describe Brisbane’s contemporary chamber music scene as a subculture. The dissertation closes by reflecting on the ways in which the subcultural analysis of contemporary chamber music has yielded some insight into the lived practices of high culture in contemporary urban contexts.

The symbiosis of improvised and rehearsed elements in the creation of contemporary jazz ensemble music

This research investigates the symbiotic relationship between composition and improvisation and the notion of improvisation itself. With a specific interest in developing, extending and experimenting with the relationship of improvisation within predetermined structures, the creative work component of this research involved composing six new works with varying approaches for The Andrea Keller Quartet and guest improvisers, for performance on a National Australian tour. This is documented in the CD recording Galumphing Round the Nation - Collaborations Tour 2009. The exegesis component is intended to run alongside the creative work and discusses the central issues surrounding improvisation in an ensemble context and the subject of composing for improvisers. Specifically, it questions the notion that when music emphasises a higher ratio of spontaneous to pre-determined elements, and is exposed to the many variables of a performance context, particularly through its incorporation of visitant improvisers, the resultant music should potentially be measurably altered with each performance. This practice-led research demonstrates the effect of concepts such as individuality, variability within context, and the interactive qualities of contemporary jazz ensemble music. Through the analysis and comparison of the treatment of the six pieces over thirteen performances with varying personnel, this exegesis proposes that, despite the expected potential for spontaneity in contemporary jazz music, the presence of established patterns, the desire for familiarity and the intuitive tendency towards accepted protocols ensure that the music which emerges is not as mutable as initially anticipated.

Contemporary cultures of service delivery to families : implications for music therapy

Family-centred and early intervention and prevention programs are a strong focus of current policy objectives within Australia, and a significant area of practice within the music therapy community. Recent shifts in the culture of policy and practice increasingly reflect ecological understandings by focussing on integrated and place-based approaches to service delivery. Further, current funding opportunities are strongly concerned with the extent to which interventions are able to reach out to highly vulnerable families that typically do not engage with services easily. Music therapy holds unique promise within these cultural shifts and thus advocates must develop a solid understanding of the concepts and related language in order to confidently engage with both funding and service systems. This paper uses an integrative review to first define and summarise current knowledge in three key areas relevant to contemporary Australian policy and practice: hard-to-reach families, home visiting as assertive outreach, and integrated or place-based service delivery. Evidence for the effectiveness of music therapy in relation to these key themes is then presented. Finally, the paper discusses the implications for the future of music therapy within the current Australian early intervention and prevention policy context and makes recommendations for moving forward on both practice and research fronts. While there is growing evidence and theory to suggest that music therapy may be uniquely efficacious in this area, greater Australian Journal of Music Therapy Vol 25, 2014 149 advocacy, documentation, research and adjustment of practices and language will further cement the position of the industry.

New Music by Young Composers, performed by Members of the Contemporary Group, December 4, 1978

Concert Program for New Music by Young composers, performed by Members of the Contemporary Group, December 4, 1978

New Music by Young Composers, performed by Members of the Contemporary Group, May 31, 1978

Concert Program for New Music by Young composers, performed by Members of the Contemporary Group, May 31, 1978

Teacher placement report: investigation: action research project investigating methods for promoting creativity in double bass students attending a portuguese music school

The investigation which employed the action research method (qualitative analysis)was divided into four fases. In phases 1-3 the participants were six double bass students at Nossa Senhora do Cabo Music School. Pilot exercises in creativity were followed by broader and more ambitious projects. In phase 4 the techniques were tested and amplified during a summer course for twelve double bass students at Santa Cecilia College.

Tonic Sol-fa in contemporary choral music practice : a South African case study

The Tonic Sol-fa method of teaching choral singing was propagated throughout Britain during the nineteenth century with the dual objectives of enhancing Christian worship and achieving social reform. It was then imported to South Africa where it was introduced to indigenous people principally through Christian missionary activity and government schools. Although entirely of foreign origin, Tonic Sol-fa was so fully assimilated into African culture that it became effectively 'indigenised'. Due to its widespread use, it became the mainstay of community choral singing and may now be said to represent a significant exogenous aspect of present-day South African musical identity. However, there is little documentation regarding the type and extent of its use in contemporary choral music practice.

This paper will report on the use of Tonic Sol-fa in representative present-day choral music settings. Interview data collected from choir directors, trainers and teachers in Cape Town indicate that there is far from unanimous agreement on several aspects - in particular, the future of Tonic Sol-fa as a pedagogy and notational system. Improving educational opportunities for indigenous South Africans to undertake professional training in music are now threatening the traditional dominance of Tonic Sol-fa in indigenous culture. Nevertheless this research represents a useful case study of the continuing relevance of Tonic Sol-fa to an indigenous population who have 'made it their own' and developed a vibrant choral tradition which continues to both enrich and sustain their lives.

African music : negotiating a space in contemporary society

This paper explores the notion of African music as a way forward to negotiate a 'space' in contemporary society. The word 'space' is used as a metaphor to explore and experiment with the dynamics of culture and hybridity. The authors view themselves as 'agents of change' and knowledgeable professionals in the teaching of African music, one based in South Africa (Johannesburg) and the other in Australia (Melbourne). They reflect on examples from their own teaching and learning experiences as they argue that the translation of 'traditional' African music can only be brought about by means of cultural dialogue, within cultures and between cultures. This paper also addresses the issues of cultural authenticity as a redefined and renegotiated space when teaching and learning African music. The authors also consider the difficulties of addressing 'difference' and 'otherness' when teaching African music, with South Africa and Australia both previously seen as outposts of the British Empire. They contend that such differences can prove to be productive and rewarding through subtle mediation and accommodation when crossing cultural borders.

The Catholic Question in Contemporary Portuguese Civil Society: A Case of Muted Vibrancy? CES Papers - Open Forum #14, 2012

The ‘Catholic question’ in contemporary Portugal obliges us to consider whether Catholicism will remain a force in Portuguese associational life in the next century, or whether it faces a future of slow and steady decline. On the one hand, an overall statistical drop of church membership, and the lack of religious practice by almost half of self-identified Roman Catholics, suggests that the future of the Catholic Church in Portugal will probably be very different than the past. On the other hand, the church’s support for democratic processes, the important social services it provides, and its educational establishment, have certainly been a positive factor in Portuguese associational life, and helped the larger process of democratic-regime consolidation since the Carnation Revolution of 1974. This paper suggests that social scientists need to move beyond the lens normally applied to the question of Catholicism in contemporary Europe (i.e. it is a dying, anti-modern, anti-rational, conservative institution), and instead consider the complex interplay of its demographic challenges combined with the popular sources of its theological and spiritual strength, as well as its vital societal contributions, to assess whether or not it will remain a force in Portuguese associational life in the future.