Abstract:
This thesis is a biographical study of Augustine Bugase and a formal musical
analysis of one of his works, entitled The Mass of Saint Maximilian. It focused on
Bugase's biographical details, his sources of inspiration, compositional resources,
and the relevance of the compositions. The study employed qualitative and lifehistory
methods, including purposive sampling and semi-structured interview
schedules, direct observation, and document analyses. The Mass was analysed
using the composer-composition model developed by the researcher. The findings
revealed that Bugase trained as a composer in the erstwhile National Academy of
Music and spent his entire music career in the North of Ghana composing, teaching
and directing choirs. Among the many circumstances that inspired his
compositions, the story of the martyrdom of Maximilian Kolbe stimulated the
composition of the Mass of Saint Maximilian. His compositional style features the
use of indigenous language, call and response, imitations, sequences, and
interlocking thirds, which are a synthesis of Western and African compositional
techniques. The study recommends that Bugase's biographical information be
made available to the Ghanaian and international Catholic communities as a source
of motivation for young people, particularly those in the North, to emulate him.
Furthermore, budding composers should study Bugase's compositional style and
apply it to their compositions.
Description:
A thesis in the Department of Music Education, School of Creative Arts,
submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment
of the requirements for the award of the degree of
Master of Philosophy
(Music)
in the University of Education, Winneba
MAY, 2023
