Following a viva voce on Friday, 20 October 2023, Nathan was awarded a Doctorate in Philosophy (PhD) from Royal Holloway, University of London. The viva was chaired by Professor Tina K. Raminarine, with examiners Professor Howard Skempton (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire; External Examiner) and Dr Thomas Hyde (King’s College London; Internal Examiner). The thesis entitled ‘Music as Commentary’, consisted of eleven musical works written by Nathan over the past nine-years and a supporting commentary.

The featured music

The doctoral portfolio comprises of eleven musical works: three choral and solo vocal works, five works for chamber forces up to eight instruments, one orchestral work, one work for solo piano, and a work for six pianos. Please visit their dedicated webpages to listen to these works, and find out more information:

• riffs, drones, and choruses for piano trio (2015-16); written for the Fidelio Trio

• blind bells, cry out for eight instruments (2016); written for CHROMA ensemble

• national anthem [no. i] for six pianos (2017); written for Grand Band

• anti-fanfare for orchestra (2017); written for London Philharmonic Orchestra

• two national anthems: it’s not working for piano quintet, flexible ensemble, and three narrators (2017); written for Mary Dullea, Tippett Quartet, and musicians from Royal Holloway University of London

• under the earth [o dan y ddaear] for eight instruments and fixed media (2019); written for The Berkeley Ensemble

• homo for solo piano (2019); written for Mary Dullea

• turtur for SATB choir (2020); written for Corvus Consort

• Morals + Interludes for eight voices (2020); written for the National Youth Choir of Great Britain Fellowship

• the way we go for mezzo soprano and piano (2020); written for Helen Charlston and Alexander Soares

• love songs for the broken for solo soprano saxophone and strings (2022); written for Robert Burton and Britten Sinfonia

Research abstract

This thesis consists of a portfolio of music compositions, a written commentary, and links to audio-visual recordings of the works submitted. The portfolio comprises eleven musical works: three choral and solo vocal works, five works for chamber forces up to eight instruments, one orchestral work, one work for solo piano, and a work for six pianos. The works presented in the portfolio draw inspiration from visual art and photography, poetry, lived experiences and socio-political events, and other music(s).

In this project, I seek to address questions surrounding: i) the decontextualisation of borrowed, found and existing material, both live and pre-recorded; and ii) how music might reflect society and the communities in which it was created. Specifically, through my work, I look at:

1.  musical approaches to subverting preconceived notions of music through parody and mimesis;

2.  compositional techniques of fragmentation (‘distillation’), repetition, re-ordering, imitation, collage in my work to explore decontextualisation;

3.  intertextuality as a method of creating an embedded or ‘other’ narrative in my work;

4.  the influence of the extramusical on musical elements such as harmony, timbre, and structure;

5. and, how modes of semi-improvisation, aleatoricism, and other performer-led compositional approaches has the potential to enhance my creative practice, expand its scope, and unlock new possibilities in my music.

These discussions are contextualised with references to a range of music creators who have proved influential on my work including Caroline Shaw, Julia Wolfe, Nico Muhly, Ted Hearne, Julius Eastman, Gavin Bryars, and Louis Andriessen, particularly their applications of tonality, gesture, form, and orchestration. This project also draws conclusions on the prominence of extramusical inspiration in my music and how varying collaborative practices with professional and non-professional performers, visual artists and literary practitioners has enhanced and informed my creative process.

Acknowledgments

Words cannot express my gratitude to my Doctoral Supervisor, Prof. Mark Bowden, for his invaluable patience and feedback throughout this nine-year process. I am fortunate to have met him in 2013, as this process has been transformative for my practice, under his guidance. I am also indebted to the team of Advisors that I have had the privilege of being mentored by over the years at Royal Holloway, University of London: Prof. Helen Grime, Prof. Julian Johnson, and Dr. Nina Whiteman.

I am also grateful to my colleagues and close friends for their editing help, late-night and weekend feedback sessions, broader mentoring, and unwavering moral support: Dr. Oliver Chandler, Dr. Daniel Elphick, Dr. Samantha Fernando, Dr. Robert Fokkens, Rupert Gough, Dr. Tonia Ko, and Dr. Tim Summers. A special thank you to the musicians and organisations who have put their time and energy behind me and my music and have become lifelong collaborators throughout this process: the Fidelio Trio, Prof. Mary Dullea, CHROMA Ensemble, Grand Band, London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tippett Quartet, The Berkeley Ensemble, Tŷ Cerdd, the Corvus Consort, National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, Helen Charlston, Robert Burton, and Britten Sinfonia. This work is as much yours, as it is mine. Thanks should also go to the students whom I have taught and made music with at the University since 2014, who continually inspire me and keep me questioning.

Lastly, it would be remiss not mentioning my family and friends, who have always remained positive in the face of adversity and being my constant support network. Having lived a relatively nomadic existence since the beginning of my postgraduate research – moving town-to-town, city-to-city – a final thank you to all those friends, housemates, supporters, and music creators I have met along the way who have made the journey such a fun and fruitful one.

Read the thesis

You can download and read the full thesis here (link embedded). If you have any follow-up questions, please contact nathan@nathanjamesdearden.com.