Department of Music

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Browsing Department of Music by browse.metadata.advisor "Burden, Liam"

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    South African saxophone compositions: exploring the process of creating new music for saxophone through the lens of artistic research and performer-composer collaboration
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-12) Mc Clure, Josie; Lesch, Felicia; Burden, Liam; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Music.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Globally, there is a substantial body of repertoire for the classical saxophone. In South Africa, however, compositions for the classical saxophone by national composers are in short supply. This research investigated possible reasons for the limited compositional output of the instrument in this genre in South Africa. The research process included the commissioning of two works by composers Arthur Feder and Clare Loveday in an endeavour to expand this repertoire. The emerging field of artistic research was the primary vehicle for this study and included performer (the researcher) - composer collaboration, research in and through the arts, and critical reflection, the latter integral to artistic research and collaborative composition. Interviews were conducted with pedagogues, actively performing saxophonists, South African composers or those residing in the country for a decade or more. The interviews provided invaluable insight into the context within which the classical saxophone is situated in South Africa, where it is viewed as an instrument commonly used in jazz performance. The lack of saxophone-specific pedagogical resources, the high cost of commissions and the small number of classically-trained saxophone specialists country-wide, are all factors which limit the number of classical saxophone performers and repertoire. Classical saxophonists are often not able to participate in concerto festivals because the orchestral music is generally not available in the institution's library and extremely costly to hire. The retrieved data revealed possible solutions to the research question which included factors such as the processes of commissioning works in South Africa and access to South African composers. In the absence of a commissioning guide in South Africa, participants in the study shared their methods of commissioning works and their reasons for doing so. The data revealed that the role of national festivals and competitions are powerful conduits for promoting South African music. The participants shared their hopes and opinions for the future of the classical saxophone. Finally, the researcher created a draft catalogue of existing classical saxophone works to complement the fragmented databases found during the course of this research.