A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS AND GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF DANIEL CHRISTIAN CHIKPEZIE AGU’S SONG OF PATRIOTISM-ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

The art of composition is a creative writing which brings out a synthesis of musical ideas, motifs and sonorities, to get at that which originally seems inconceivable and unreachable. African Art Music also known as academic music in the context of this research is that unique, stylized musical arts; formalized kind of music that emerges from the fusion of western musical idioms with that of African traditions of musical concepts and practices. Personal life, friendship, the ups and downs of joy, happiness and depression, play important roles in any compositional output. Many elements come to play in a given composition which serves as a driving force to sending signals in accordance with the intentions of a composer. Many composers through the exploration of vital compositional materials criticize in an attempt to reform while some lauds in praise to showcase pride, dignity, and integrity. The song of patriotism by Agu falls among the latter category. Currently, there have been researches on Agu focusing on his life, music and career. However, no study has focused on a detailed examination through analysis on the song of patriotism as it concerns nation building. This paper, therefore, through analysis aims to show how the composer contributed to the building of the State of Anambra through his efforts in the art of composition. The analysis and general assessment was based on Agu’s (1999) criteria for identification and analysis of African songs. The criteria include the form, the basic structural forms, phraseology, performance, presentational form and the text, harmonic principles and styles, the rhythmic structure of the melody and tonal shift and instrumentation.