Ghanaian Choral Music Compositional Styles: An Appraisal of The Approach of Jacob Paulinus Johnson
Peter Twum-Barimah 
Issue: Vol.3 No.2 July 2023 Special Issue Article 3 pp. 97-121
DOI :https://doi.org/10.38159/ejomur.2023323| Published online 11th September 2023.
© 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The paper sought to present a compositional style of J. P. Johnson emanating from a consensus of three of his choral art compositions. The paper also presented a background of J.P. Johnson tracing his musical background, influences and development as an astute Ghanaian art music composer. Data was collected through interviews and music score analysis. The selected songs were analysed to bring to the fore techniques of traditional indigenous Ghanaian music idioms employed in J. P. Johnson’s Wɔnhyɛ Twerampɔn Enyimnyam (Tell Ye the Glory), Wonyi Ewuradze Ayɛ (Let us Praise God) and Da Yi Na Ewuradze Ahyehyɛ (this is the Day the Lord has made). The analytical parameters adopted for the study included melody, harmony, rhythm, and form. The paper examined J. P. Johnson’s exploration of traditional idioms such as call-and-response phrasings, repetition, text-tune relationships, and parallel thirds in his creativity. These compositional techniques depict his cultural belief as an African composer with knowledge of Western music tradition.
Keywords: Compositional Styles, Identity, Generation, Choral Art, Re-labelling, and Language.
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Peter Twum-Barimah is currently a Lecturer at the Department of Music, University of Ghana, Legon. He teaches courses in Theory and Composition at the University of Ghana, Legon. He studied at the University of Ghana, Legon for his Bachelor’s, MPhil, and PhD Degrees. His publications speak to nuances and contemporary developments in choral music with emphasis on structure, harmonic sensibilities, performance practice, song text, and philosophies that are associated with music. He is also the Deputy Director of Music and Principal Organist at the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka – Accra, Ghana. He is also a co-Director to the following groups – Christ Anglican Church Choir, University of Ghana, and the Cantoribus Chorale at the Holy Spirit Cathedral. He is a member of the Maestros Catholicam (Catholic Musicians of Ghana).
Twum-Barimah. “Ghanaian Choral Music Compositional Styles: An Appraisal of The Approach of Jacob Paulinus Johnson,” E-Journal of Music Research 3, no.2 (2023): 97-121. https://doi.org/10.38159/ejomur.2023323
© 2023 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
