Mattix, D
2020,
A portfolio of compositions developing notational and compositional techniques in neo-liturgical music including handpan
, PhD thesis, University of Salford.
Access Information: The audio files may be found at the link above.
Abstract
The objective of this portfolio is to develop a system of notation and compose neo-liturgical music featuring the handpan. Until this point, no means of written communication has been in place to express advanced handpan techniques in printed sheet music. My process in researching and creating this portfolio entailed a fourfold methodology: cultivating new elements of handpan notation using an existing knowledge of composition and percussion, interviewing percussionists and handpanists to test the viability of these notation advances, adapting the notation based on the feedback, and creating original music that incorporated the subsequent findings using both traditional and electroacoustic composition techniques. I have also made progress toward combining the handpan with other forces, including a variety of diverse instruments and voices, with a scope that had not been previously undertaken. Throughout this project, I have researched principles of meditative music and have found that there are four primary characteristics: cohesion, repetition, instrumentation, and duration. I applied that research by composing neo-liturgical music, that is, music inspired by sacred texts or topics, but intended for performance in a concert setting instead of a religious venue. The primary readership for this research is composers and performers writing music for handpan, who would benefit from both the repository of notation developed here, as well as the practical means of application offered in the seven compositions. The descriptions, notation, and examples presented in this portfolio offer a starting point for the information needed to write competently for the handpan, as it continues to develop as a concert instrument today and into the future.
Keywords: Handpan, Music Notation, Neo-liturgical, Meditation, Composition, Percussion
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