Life and works of Augustine Bugase

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.