Throughout the history of Western art music, death has been a major stimulus for composers, and it continues to be so for contemporary musicians. Composer responses to death have been predominantly associated with emotions of grief, sadness and loss. An examination of responses in the Western art music repertoire of the past five hundred years, however, reveals that there is a diversity of composer reactions, from mourning through prophetic imaginings to resignation, and extending to spiritual

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... ffirmation or theological affirmation of an afterlife. Informed by surveying a number of composers' diverse responses, this article outlines differences found in order to propose a taxonomy of varying creative musical approaches to death. and France. While writing mainly for Western art music instrumental forces, his compositions also have included traditional Maori instruments and traditions, and multimedia work. He also has published innovative scholarly studies on New Zealand music, particularly on the country's music history and music historiography. Currently he is working on several composition projects connected with his own near-death experience in 2010. Two of these projects have texts provided by authors Vincent O'Sullivan and Witi Ihimaera respectively. Martin Lodge is Associate Professor and Head of Composition at the University of Waikato Conservatorium of Music in Hamilton, New Zealand.