Master of Music (MM), Bowling Green State University, 2009, Music Performance/Voice

Welsh art songs borrow many ideas from Welsh folk songs, and there are many societies in Wales that devote their resources to the promotion of Welsh music and art. The musical characteristics of Welsh folk songs can be seen in the composition of Welsh art songs. The subject matter in folk songs and in art songs is similar, with the same basic subject areas accounting for the majority of texts set to music. The songs also use similar tonalities, rhythms and meters. Modal tonalities and mixed meter are common in both folk songs and art songs. It can be clearly seen that the art music of the current time develops directly out of the folk music of the country. The art music of Dilys Elwyn-Edwards illustrates the influence of Welsh folk songs on Welsh art songs and shows the progression from folk song, to twentieth century art song, to new music of the twenty-first century.

Committee: Jane Schoonmaker Rodgers DMA (Advisor); Vincent Corrigan PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Composition; Fine Arts; Music