A Path to Song: The Incorporation of Aboriginal and Environmental Influences in 20th and 21st Century Australian Choral Music

Abstract

Australian composers have made efforts to create choral music that is distinctively Australian. In order to compose choral music that represents Australia’s people, landscape, history, and culture, Australian composers turned to Aboriginal and environmental elements for inspiration. These are the two main influences found in Australian choral music today. This study will first examine the devastating impact of Australia’s colonial history, the treatment of Aboriginal people since the arrival of early European settlers, the events that have contributed to recognition of Aboriginal rights, and some of the efforts and progress that have led to reconcile Australia’s racist past. This is a significant and necessary part of this study because it will provide choral conductors and singers the perspectives and cultural awareness needed as they approach and include Australian choral music containing elements of Aboriginal culture in their classroom, rehearsal, and performance settings. Chapter Two will explore elements and characteristics of the Aboriginal ensemble singing called “clan songs” and its cultural and spiritual significance in Aboriginal societies. This chapter will present “clan songs” of three Aboriginal groups, namely Aranda, Tiwi, and Yolngu nations and their characteristics which are shared by other Aboriginal clans. Chapter Three will examine the issue of cultural appropriation, especially using the work of Aboriginal composer and educator Dr. Christopher Sainsbury as a guide. Sainsbury is currently leading the conversation regarding misappropriation of Aboriginal culture in Australian music. Some historical examples of cultural appropriation in Australian music will be presented in this chapter as well. The last section of Chapter Three focuses on protocol guides produced by Australia Council for the Arts to help protect the rights of Aboriginal people as sole custodians of their cultural heritage. Chapter Four will provide an overview of the development of Australian choral music since the arrival of early European settlers. It will also present three composers who influenced the musical identity of Peter Sculthorpe. Sculthorpe’s compositional voice came earlier than the examples of composers I chose to list and explore in this study, and he served as a source of inspiration for them. Chapters Five through Chapter Nine will present examples of Australian composers who were inspired by Peter Sculthorpe, and due to his influence chose to incorporate Aboriginal and environmental influences in their compositions. The list includes Ross Edwards, Anne Boyd, Stephen Leek, Paul Stanhope, and Aboriginal composers, Deborah Cheetham and Christopher Sainsbury. The main goals of this study are to examine the events and influences that have shaped Australian choral music, to present examples of composers who have incorporated Aboriginal and environmental influences in their choral music, and to provide information that will be helpful to choral conductors and singers as they approach and include Australian choral music in teaching, rehearsal, and performance settings.