Scholarly Abstractions: Choral Music of Judith Bingham

Monroe-Fischer, Marjorie.  An Examination of Selected Choral Music of Judith Bingham.  Published Doctor of Arts dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, 2012.

    Judith Bingham (1952-     ) is the most acclaimed female British composer of our time.  Her work encompasses most genres; however, a quarter of her compositions are choral.  In spite of her fame in Britain, outside of that country she is not well known.
    This paper is a study of five of Judith Bingham’s choral works analyzed in depth.  These pieces cover the main types of her choral compositions:  Water Lilies (1999), The Drowned Lovers (2000, revised in 2009), Missa Brevis “The Road to Emmaeus” (2003), Ghost Towns of the American West (2006), and First Light (2001).
    The first chapter deals with the background information including purpose, need, scope and organization of the study, methodology and review of the literature.  The second chapter is a brief biography of Judith Bingham.  The third chapter analyzes the selected works.  The analysis includes a study of form, texture, harmony, melody, rhythm, text, and accompaniment if accompanied.  The fourth chapter offers a summary and conclusions.
    The appendices include a complete catalog of Bingham’s choral literature to date, and interviews with Ms. Bingham; Stephen Farr, a well respected organist and choral director largely involved in Ms. Bingham’s works; and Tom Winpenny, a cathedral organist involved with Ms. Bingham’s work.  The final interview was broadcast on the BBC radio during a choral concert celebrating Ms. Bingham’s fiftieth birthday.
Stephen Farr has called Judith Bingham’s compositional output a “very significant body of work in every way.”  Her expert craftsmanship deserves a close examination.

(“Scholarly Abstractions” is a feature highlighting brief abstracts from recent graduate projects in choral music.  To share your thesis abstract, contact Scott Dorsey at )