Graduate Studies, UNL

 

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

First Advisor

Peter Eklund

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.)

Committee Members

Anita Breckbill, Clark Potter, William Shomos

Department

Music

Date of this Version

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College of the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.)

Major: Music

Under the supervision of Professor

Lincoln, Nebraska, December 2025

Comments

Copyright 2025, the author. Used by permission

Abstract

This document examines the complete set of thirteen partsongs by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) a body of choral works underrepresented in both scholarship and performance. Before the twentieth century, English partsongs had already developed a rich lineage through composers such as Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Charles Villiers Stanford, Edward Elgar, and Charles Wood. Around 1900, the genre flourished further in the works of Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gerald Finzi, and Herbert Howells, whose partsongs were published by Novello & Co. and featured in The Musical Times. Within this broader context, Coleridge-Taylor’s contributions stand apart: his partsongs reveal a distinctive harmonic language and expressive depth that have received comparatively little scholarly attention.

Although Coleridge-Taylor’s large-scale choral and orchestral compositions have gained increasing recognition, his partsongs—setting texts by Christina Rossetti, Thomas Hood, Matthew Arnold, and others—demonstrate a refined approach to text setting, harmonic design, and expressive pacing that merits renewed study. Through detailed analysis of melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, and dynamic structure—through the lens of form—this study identifies recurring traits that define Coleridge-Taylor’s choral voice: chromatic yet functionally grounded progressions, expressive use of suspensions and altered chords, frequent descending melodic lines that evoke reflection, and rhythmic flexibility created through duple groupings in compound meter. His sensitivity to poetic imagery is reflected in subtle text painting, dynamic shaping, and cadential pacing that mirror natural cycles of life, death, and renewal.

This document also considers performance impactions, emphasizing balance, tuning, and phrasing strategies that enhance the harmonic and textual clarity. The findings affirm that Coleridge-Taylor’s partsongs are accessible and artistically rewarding for advanced high school, collegiate, community, and professional ensembles. By situating these works within the broader context of late-Romantic and early-twentieth-century British choral traditions, this study contributes to ongoing efforts to restore Coleridge-Taylor’s rightful place in the canon and to encourage their continued study and performance.

Two editorial notes for this document are: 1) the publishing company Novello & Co will be referred to in this manner, per the Grove Music Online article, instead of using the other variations of its name; 2) the formatting of citations in this document follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition.

Advisor: Peter A. Eklund

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