An Analytical Study Of Tarik O'regan's The Night's Untruth, The Ecstasies Above, And Tr

304 Pages·2015·31.5 MB·English

by  James Eric Brown

Florida State University Libraries
Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School
2013
Portrayal of Life and Death: An Analytical
Study of Tarik O'Regan's the Night's
Untruth, the Ecstasies Above, and Triptych
James E. Brown
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THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF MUSIC

PORTRAYAL OF LIFE AND DEATH:

AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF TARIK O’REGAN’S

THE NIGHT’S UNTRUTH, THE ECSTASIES ABOVE, AND TRIPTYCH

By

JAMES E. BROWN

A Dissertation submitted to the
College of Music
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Awarded:
Summer Semester, 2013
James E. Brown defended this dissertation on May 30, 2013.
The members of the supervisory committee were:

Kevin Fenton
Professor Directing Dissertation

Christopher Moore
University Representative

Alice-Ann Darrow
Committee Member

André J. Thomas
Committee Member

The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and
certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements.

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“Your inner strength is your outer foundation.”
—Alan Rufus

I dedicate this effort to my parents, Jim and Karen Brown, who gave me the space to

discover my calling as a teacher/musician, my wife Julie, whose confirmation has

sustained me, my son Jonah, whose model of living has inspired me, and my daughter Juliana,
whose keenness of time amazes me.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to take this opportunity to thank a number of people whose knowledge and
generosity helped make the creation of this document possible.
First and foremost, I would like to thank Tarik O’Regan, for his correspondence prior and
post my visit to New York, hours of conversation during our interview and whose contribution
provides a fresh voice of forward momentum to choral music.
My thanks to Amelia Lukas, Promotion Associate for G. Schirmer Inc., for getting access
to all of Tarik’s choral scores from Novello in London and having it ready for my perusal and
study upon my visit to New York; Simon Carrington for sharing Yale Schola Cantorum’s
performance of The Ecstasies Above, and Philip Brunelle for sharing VocalEssence’s
performance of The Night’s Untruth to aid in the analyzing of both of these works.
My thanks to Cara Bernard for her friendship, and putting me up during my stay in New
York. My special thanks to Anne Dorsey for her unwavering friendship, mentoring me during
my tenure in North Carolina, providing housing during my Christmas break to write the bulk of
this dissertation, and happily accepting and enjoying the arduous task of editing.
My thanks to my doctoral committee: Dr. Christopher Moore, for serving as my
university representative for my preliminary exam and defense, respectively; Dr. AliceAnn
Darrow, whose warm, inviting smile, guidance and support throughout this degree has been
invaluable; Dr. André Thomas for showing me how to express my spirit through his mentoring,
knowledge of choral music, and passionate, unyielding love for teaching; and Dr. Kevin Fenton,
my major professor, for his mentorship, directing this dissertation, portraying another model of
passion for the choral art, and for introducing me to the music of Tarik O’Regan. I am grateful
to both Drs. Thomas and Fenton, particularly for their confidence and vision in seeing how I
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could grow in all facets as a teacher/conductor/musician, and for enabling an abundance of
opportunities throughout my time at Florida State.
My thanks to friends and mentors who have helped me throughout my career: Felicia
Barber, my sister, my friend, my confidant through this journey—you encouraged me to laugh
more, live fully and graciously. Amy Kotsonis, for her attention to detail and impeccable
technical savvy creating a substantial portion of musical figures that are in this document, and
easing my anxieties in moments of panic; Mitchell Crawford, for his interest in O’Regan’s
writing and willingness to share his passion for analysis and scrutinizing my work.
My thanks to Dr. Samuel Gordon, for showing me what was possible as an undergraduate
student, and for mentoring a young, unproven conductor.
I would like to thank my parents, Jim and Karen Brown, whose love and support have
provided me with sound examples of these things a son, husband, and father could only hope for.
Finally, I wish to thank my wife Julie, whose gentle spirit and ever present love, sound
advice, and support have sustained me throughout this process; my son, Jonah, whose model of
living has inspired me to truly understand that one can “work hard, play hard;” and my daughter,
Juliana, whose presence encourages me as I begin this next chapter in my life.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ix
List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. x
List of Musical Examples .............................................................................................................. xi
Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... xv

1. INTRODUCTION: PURPOSES AND PROCEDURES ........................................................ 1

Problem Statement .............................................................................................................. 1
Subproblems ....................................................................................................................... 1
Definition of Terms ............................................................................................................. 2
Delimitations ....................................................................................................................... 2
Need for Study .................................................................................................................... 3
Purpose for Study ................................................................................................................ 5
Procedures ........................................................................................................................... 6
Organization of the Study ................................................................................................... 6

2. TARIK O’REGAN .................................................................................................................. 9

Childhood ............................................................................................................................ 9
Musical Training ............................................................................................................... 12
Professional Life ............................................................................................................... 18
Influences .......................................................................................................................... 22
Personal Characteristics .................................................................................................... 28

3. THE NIGHT’S UNTRUTH .................................................................................................... 30

Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 30
Genesis of The Night’s Untruth ........................................................................................ 34
Text ................................................................................................................................... 34
Musical Analysis of The Night’s Untruth ......................................................................... 40
Form ...................................................................................................................... 40
B Section ............................................................................................................... 42
C Section ............................................................................................................... 50
D Section ............................................................................................................... 52
Structure ............................................................................................................................ 59
Texture .............................................................................................................................. 60
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 60
B Section ............................................................................................................... 62
B1 Section .............................................................................................................. 66
C Section ............................................................................................................... 70
D Section ............................................................................................................... 74

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4. THE ECSTASIES ABOVE ..................................................................................................... 77

Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 77
Text ................................................................................................................................... 78
Musical Analysis of The Ecstasies Above ........................................................................ 84
Form ...................................................................................................................... 84
A Section ............................................................................................................... 86
B Section ............................................................................................................... 89
C Section ............................................................................................................... 90
A1 Section ............................................................................................................. 92
Structure ............................................................................................................................ 94
Texture .............................................................................................................................. 95
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 95
A Section ............................................................................................................... 99
B Section ............................................................................................................. 106
C Section ............................................................................................................. 107
D Section ............................................................................................................. 113

5. TRIPTYCH ........................................................................................................................... 120

Genesis of Triptych ......................................................................................................... 120
Musical Analysis of Triptych .......................................................................................... 125
Form .................................................................................................................... 126
Threnody ......................................................................................................................... 127
Text ..................................................................................................................... 128
Structure .......................................................................................................................... 131
Texture ............................................................................................................................ 132
Introduction ......................................................................................................... 132
A Section ............................................................................................................. 135
B Section ............................................................................................................. 137
As We Remember Them .................................................................................................. 141
Text ..................................................................................................................... 141
Structure .......................................................................................................................... 142
Texture ............................................................................................................................ 144
From Heaven Distilled a Clemency ................................................................................ 149
Text ..................................................................................................................... 149
Structure .......................................................................................................................... 152
Texture ............................................................................................................................ 153
Introduction/A Section ........................................................................................ 153
B Section (Chorus) .............................................................................................. 154
C Section ............................................................................................................. 155
D Section ............................................................................................................. 156
Significance of “Three” ...................................................................................... 159
Conclusion ...................................................................................................................... 160

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6. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
FUTURE RESEARCH ............................................................................................ 164
Summary ......................................................................................................................... 164
Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 165
Recommendations for Future Research .......................................................................... 166

APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................ 167

A. LIST OF TARIK O’REGAN’S CHORAL WORKS ............................................................ 168

B. LINE ANALYSIS – THE NIGHT’S UNTRUTH ................................................................... 182

C. POEMS FOR THE NIGHT’S UNTRUTH .............................................................................. 198

D. LINE ANALYSIS – THE ECSTASIES ABOVE .................................................................... 201

E. POEM FOR THE ECSTASIES ABOVE ................................................................................. 216

F. LINE ANALYSIS – TRIPTYH: THRENODY ........................................................................ 217

G. LINE ANALYSIS – TRIPTYCH: AS WE REMEMBER THEM ............................................ 228

H. LINE ANALYSIS – TRIPTYCH: FROM HEAVEN DISTILLED A CLEMENCY ................ 234

I. POEMS FOR TRIPTYCH ........................................................................................................ 243

J. DISCOGRAPHY OF TARIK O’REGAN’S CHORAL WORKS .......................................... 273

K. COPYRIGHT PERMISSION FOR THE NIGHT’S UNTRUTH, THE ECSTASIES ABOVE,
AND TRIPTYCH .................................................................................................. 279

L. PERMISSION TO USE TARIK O’REGAN’S HEADSHOT BY PHOTOGRAPHER ........ 282

M. CONFIRMATION OF ORAL HISTORY STATUS ............................................................ 283

BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 284

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ...................................................................................................... 291
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LIST OF TABLES

3.1 Duration and Instrumentation of The Night’s Untruth by Tarik O’Regan ............................ 35

3.2 Analysis and Form of The Night’s Untruth ........................................................................... 41

3.3 Structure – The Night’s Untruth ............................................................................................ 60

4.1 Duration and Instrumentation of The Ecstasies Above by Tarik O’Regan ........................... 78

4.2 Analysis and Form of The Ecstasies Above .......................................................................... 85

4.3 Structure – The Ecstasies Above ............................................................................................ 95

5.1 Duration and Instrumentation of Triptych by Tarik O’Regan ............................................. 126

5.2 Analysis and Form of Movement I, Threnody .................................................................... 131

5.3 Structure – Threnody ........................................................................................................... 132

5.4 Analysis and Form of Movement II, As We Remember Them ............................................ 142

5.5 Structure – As We Remember Them .................................................................................... 144

5.6 Analysis and Form of Movement III, From Heaven Distilled a Clemency ........................ 152

5.7 Structure – From Heaven Distilled a Clemency .................................................................. 153

A.1 List of Tarik O’Regan’s Choral Works ............................................................................... 169

B.1 Line Analysis – The Night’s Untruth .................................................................................. 183

D.1 Line Analysis– The Ecstasies Above ................................................................................... 202

F.1 Line Analysis – Triptych: Threndody .................................................................................. 218

G.1 Line Analysis– Triptych: As We Remember Them .............................................................. 229

H.1 Line Analysis – Triptych: From Heaven Distilled A Clemency .......................................... 235

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