Doctoral Degrees (Music)

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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Music) by Subject "Children's chorus"

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    Tygerberg Children's Choir: history and identity
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Lamprecht, Dorathea Julia; Van Niekerk, Caroline; Venter, Carina; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Department of Music.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the history and identity of the Tygerberg Children’s Choir (TCC) in South Africa, rooted in Afrikaner culture, and its transition to and continuation as a multicultural children’s choir. Founded in 1972, the choir and its long-time conductor, Hendrik Loock, have achieved numerous national and international accolades. Together with his wife Theresa, an accompanist, music teacher and arranger of music, Loock has been instrumental in raising the standard of school, regional, university and related choirs in the Western Cape and nationally. The dissertation uses a qualitative, holistic, single, intrinsic case study methodology to better understand TCC choir identity in the context of a drastically changed political dispensation. Drawing on archival data, non-participant observations and qualitative face to face semi-structured interviews, a reconstruction of the TCC’s identity is offered spanning 1972-2019. Identity Process Theory (IPT), as framed by Glynis Breakwell and Rusi Jaspal, provides a lens to investigate TCC group identity whilst considering social and historical contexts. As indicated for qualitative IPT work, data was analysed according to Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke’s Thematic Analysis (TA), by applying a constructionist reflexive orientation. Conceptual preferences are informed by an idealist ontology and an integrated social constructionist/constructivist epistemology within an interpretivist worldview. This account of TCC history shows interrelated influences on processes of choir identity construction, such as cultural, geographic, socio-political and religious contexts as well as racial, language and demographic representation in the TCC, choir composition, role players and purpose intricately interwoven with the TCC’s unique choir sound, repertoire, performance style and associated artefacts. Four themes and eight sub-themes were generated from the TCC collection in the DOMUS archive holdings, ninety eight hours of non-participant observation of choir rehearsals and a transcription dataset of twenty nine interviews. The interconnected main themes indicate the influence of the conductor, adult volunteers, choristers and transformative change on TCC identity construction. The TCC has been viewed as a place of belonging for music loving children and adults and with a mutual determination for choral excellence. Success and continuity as main motivators for change and sameness and linked to the conductor’s views and personality have been suggested. Continuous financial challenges due to limited funding and of unceasing parental support and volunteerism through community service in sustaining a choral music educational cause are explored. Musically gifted choristers and their exceptional contributions in providing the choral product whilst gaining musical, educational, personal and social life skills are described. The most significant change in TCC identity is specified as becoming more representative of the country’s overall racial dispensation. Embracing diversity and multicultural enrichment and continuing social bridging whilst sustaining a dominant Afrikaner leadership core are confirmed as part of TCC identity. Accessibility is complicated by socio-economic, cultural and demographic factors which enhance exclusivity. Acceptance of challenges, acting in solving these from within their extended TCC management team and subsequently finding new meaning therein are indicated as significant coping processes in fostering this internationally rated children’s choir under one conductor for almost fifty years.