Abstract:
The study contains four choral musical works written to celebrate unity in diversity and
to serve as a personal motivation for its relevance for a master’s degree research. In spite
of the imaginary line resulting from imperialistic territorial aggrandizement that divide
households and townsmen who live in communities along the Ghana-Togo border, these
communities have continued to preserve the cultural exchanges of their old traditions
from generation to generation. Consequently, the border line does not significantly
separate them as a people. This phenomenological case study collected data from three
towns in the Volta Region of Ghana - Kpetoe, Dakpa and Dzodze – whose indigenes are
divide by the imaginary Ghana-Togo border line. Data was collected on provenance,
language, dressing, food, religious practices and musical forms. Firstly, the study analysed
the data collected and compared the similarities and differences in their ways of life, and
secondly, used their musical element commonalities as resources for composing four
grandiose musical choruses (i.e., for SATB). The resulting musical products, four choruses,
were ultimately performed by three choirs — one from Ghana and two from Togo. The
productions of the works into live music were in separate performances showcasing the
researcher’s artistic vision for both local and international audiences. Finally, the
researcher analysed the works to give a panoramic view of the musical constructional
procedures that reflect his thinking processes to guide listeners and performers alike. The
study established that the communities continue to flourish by preserving their old
traditions in spite of modernity and political challenges. It expanded my composition field
of study and my general musicianship. Lastly, a significant contribution the study brings
to academia is how the works blend the Amu-Nayo bi-cultural choral tradition with the
synergies of indigenous vocal tonal forms of the communities along the Ghana-Togo
border
Description:
A Thesis in the Department of Music Education, School of Creative Arts, submitted to
the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Musical Composition)
in the University of Education, Winneba
