YORUBA RELIGIOUS CARVING. Pagan and Christian Sculpture in Nigeria and Dahomey, by KEVIN CARROLL. Foreword by WILLIAM FAGG, GEOFFREY CHAPMAN. 172 pp. £4 10s
1967
African Music: Journal of the African Music Society
75 Margot Dias' article makes one very interested to read more about her intensive research accom plished in the last ten years in Portuguese overseas provinces, which are very fertile areas for music research, since -in contrast to many other places -traditional African music is fully alive there. This is a new publication o f the very active A LL AFRICA CHURCH MUSIC ASSOCIATION. The collection comprises 43 samples o f African Church Music, given in staff notation together with sol-fa names.
more »
... e texts are in Shona and, frequently, in its dialect-forms. Eleven o f these hymns have already been published in 1963 under the same title. The specific approach to creating African Church music, chosen by R. A. Kauffman when starting his work in 1961, consisted in arranging traditional tunes for use in church (cf. A .A.C .M .A. Journal, July 1966, p. 3). Such arrangements are found in Nos. 1-3, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 37, 41, as far as I can make out myself, even if they are not specified as such. Such a transcription may consist merely o f a new text put to an existing tune (No. 25) or o f a Western harmonization o f such a tune (Nos. 26, 28, 37) but it may show too some originality (Nos. 1 and 2). O f the compositions proper, those by A. Maraire show the greatest amount o f imagination and technical skill. I would regard the Nos. 32, 33, 12 and 24 as successful creations in an indigenous church music style. Others fall short o f such expectations, either because they rely too exclusively on traditional and /or Western harmonies (Nos. 5, 10, 16, 34, 36) or because they are based merely on a rhythmic recitation that lacks the subtlety and finesse o f its traditional form in " murevereri" parts (Nos. 27 and 42). In spite o f these critical remarks, I would regard this collection as valuable and very useful to all the Christian churches in Africa. W hoever has worked in this field, is aware o f the fact that many steps are needed to create a truly indigenous church music, and, in the case o f culture contact, the notions o f right or wrong are certainly not applicable. I would like to add two suggestions: (1) It would have been more accurate to base the time signature for the Nos. 17, 21 and 34 on quarter notes than in eighth notes. (2) It would be very useful to give the duration time o f each piece in minutes and seconds to indi cate the ideal speed, since a watch is easily available for song-leaders. J. LENHERR.
doi:10.21504/amj.v4i1.765
fatcat:72hhtqrq4bhlpbo6n2gefb7bla