Viljoen, M.Niemann, R.Verster, Huibrecht2018-01-182018-01-182008-11http://hdl.handle.net/11660/7626English: Children's choirs gained recognition during the twentieth century as an acclaimed category in Western choral music. This choral category's subsequent dynamic evolvement has brought to the fore the need to broaden the knowledge of specialised rehearsal and conducting techniques, especially in view of its internationally competitive nature. As part of the growing body of knowledge in the field, conductors have contributed to the development of the instrument through the design of didactic methods generating specific artistic results. The evidence of studies on the topic, and in particular, the lack of qualitative data, highlighted the need to systematically investigate and document all music-technical foundations of children’s choral singing as practised by leading conductors in the field. It is the aim of this study to explore a range of theoretical, practical and didactic issues by way of a qualitative investigation. In order to contribute to the body of knowledge on the development of the vocal instrument of children, and to provide a substantive framework for conducting methods generating specific artistic results, this study documents the responses of a number of world-renowned conductors of children’s choirs. The study is introduced by a brief overview of the historical background to the evolvement of the children’s choir. In this regard it has been found that the remarkable development of this choral category during the course of the last century was stimulated in particular by various inputs from the educational and compositional field, from which a unique choral pedagogy for children that included both voice skills and voice health training was realised during the 1980s. It also became clear that conductors contributed considerably to the evolvement of this choral category by means of their active engagement with the field, and by disseminating experience and knowledge through publications, symposia and workshops. A literature study first examined general aspects of choral directing, which were then particularised in terms of the children’s choir. A qualitative study followed that documented the views of various renowned conductors, which amplified the preceding literature findings on certain techniques the conductor should apply to build the child’s voice expertly as an instrument of musical excellence. The data chapter not only reiterated the important role of the conductor, but confirmed that the conductor's role extends beyond the musical director's function to that of nurturer and educationalist, which also includes a strong psychological dimension. It was made clear that the role of the conductor is vital already during the auditioning and repertoire selection processes, where the potential success of the choir originates. The musical ability of children carries more weight than the quality of an individual voice, and therefore has to be assessed in a variety of effective ways. It was also stressed that the repertoire for this choral category has to be suitable for children, taking into account aspects such as level of performance, language and cultural background, as well as musical variety. The findings showed a strong correlation between the literature and the qualitative data, although the latter provided a rich individualistic account. It was clear that choral techniques for this instrument should be holistic in approach, starting with the body posture and working towards the creation of a desired homogeneous choral sound through touching on numerous physical and psychological aspects. As part of this process, the conductor needs to focus on elements of choral sound such as relaxation, breathing, registers, vowels, phrasing, legato singing, pronunciation, articulation and agility, resonance, pitching and intonation. Finally the study offered recommendations for present and future conductors of children’s choirs to enhance this art form, and extend the excellence of this type of choral singing at national and international level.Afrikaans: Gedurende die twintigste eeu het kinderkore erkenning begin geniet as ʼn erkende kategorie in Westerse koormusiek. Dit het sedertdien só dinamies ontwikkel dat die noodsaak om kennis rakende gespesialiseerde repetisie- en dirigeertegnieke uit te brei, toenemend op die voorgrond getree het, veral in die lig van die internasionaalkompeterende aard van kinderkoorsang. As deel van die steeds toenemende kennisgeheel op hierdie gebied, het dirigente bygedra tot die ontwikkeling van die instrument deur die ontwikkeling van didaktiese metodes wat spesifieke artistieke resultate oplewer. Navorsing oor die onderwerp, en in die besonder die gebrek aan kwalitatiewe data, het die behoefte laat ontstaan om alle musikaal-tegniese grondbeginsels met betrekking tot kinderkoorsang, soos deur leidende dirigente op die gebied toegepas word, sistematies te ondersoek en te dokumenteer. Dit is die oogmerk van hierdie studie om ʼn verskeidenheid teoretiese, praktiese en didaktiese kwessies aan die hand van ʼn kwalitatiewe ondersoek na te vors. Hierdie studie dokumenteer die response van ʼn aantal wêreldberoemde dirigente van kinderkore ten einde by te dra tot ʼn kennisgeheel oor die ontwikkeling van die vokale instrument van kinders, asook om ʼn wesenlike raamwerk te verskaf vir dirigeermetodes wat spesifieke artistieke resultate teweegbring. Die studie word ingelei deur ʼn bondige oorsig van die historiese agtergrond tot die ontwikkeling van kinderkore. In hierdie verband is dit bevind dat die merkwaardige ontwikkeling van hierdie koorkategorie in die loop van die vorige eeu veral gestimuleer is deur verskeie insette vanuit die opvoedkundige en kompositoriese gebied, wat in die 1980’s ʼn unieke koorpedagogiek vir kinders daargestel het wat sowel stemvaardighede as gesonde stemopleiding ingesluit het. Dit het ook duidelik geword dat dirigente heelwat bydra tot die ontwikkeling van hierdie koorkategorie by wyse van ʼn aktiewe betrokkenheid in die veld, asook deur die verspreiding van kennis en ervaring deur middel van publikasies, simposiums en werkswinkels. ʼn Literatuurstudie het eerstens algemene aspekte van koorleiding ondersoek, waarna dit spesifiek in terme van die kinderkoor afgebaken is. Hierop het die kwalitatiewe studie gevolg waarin die standpunte van verskeie vermaarde dirigente gedokumenteer is wat die voorafgaande literatuurbevindinge ondersteun oor hoe die dirigent sekere tegnieke behoort toe te pas om die kind se stem op vaardige wyse uit te bou tot ʼn instrument van musikale uitnemendheid. Die datahoofstuk beklemtoon nie slegs die belangrike rol van die dirigent nie, maar bevestig ook die feit dat die rol van die dirigent verby die funksie van musikale direksie strek tot by dié van opvoeder en versorger, met ʼn sterk sielkundige dimensie. Dit word duidelik dat die rol van die dirigent reeds van deurslaggewende belang is tydens die oudisie en by die keuse van repertorium, wat die grondslag van die potensiële sukses van die koor vorm. Die m usikale vermoë van kinders d ra meer gewig a s die gehalte v an ʼn individuele stem, en moet dus gevolglik op ʼn verskeidenheid doeltreffende wyses geassesseer word. Dit word ook beklemtoon dat die repertorium vir hierdie koorkategorie geskik moet wees vir kinders, met inagneming van aspekte soos vlak van voordrag, taal en kulturele agtergrond, asook musikale verskeidenheid. Die bevindings toon ʼn sterk korrelasie tussen die literatuur en die kwalitatiewe data, alhoewel laasgenoemde ʼn ryk, individualistiese verslag bied. Dit is duidelik dat koortegnieke vir hierdie instrument holisties benader behoort te word, wat begin met liggaamshouding en voortgesit word in die skep van ʼn verlangde homogene koorklank deur gebruik te maak van verskeie fisiese en psigologiese aspekte. As deel van hierdie proses moet die dirigent fokus op elemente van koorklank soos ontspanning, asemhaling, register, vokale, frasering, legato-sang, uitspraak, artikulasie en vaardigheid, resonansie, toonplasing en intonasie. Ten slotte bied die studie aanbevelings vir huidige en toekomstige dirigente van kinderkore ten einde hierdie kunsvorm te verbeter en die uitnemend van hierdie tipe koorsang op nasionale en internasionale vlak uit te bou.enChildren's choirQualitative researchConductorChoral techniquesSoundRepertoireIntonationAuditionsVocal instrumentChoral singing -- Instruction and studyChoral conductingThesis (Ph.D. (Music))--University of the Free State, 2008ThesisUniversity of the Free State