In search for a deeper understanding of Emma Lou Diemer’s compositional style through the analysis of her shorter choral works for mixed chorus since 1987

Abstract

Dr. Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927), an award-winning contemporary American composer, has composed works for orchestra, chorus, symphonic band, organ, piano, and chamber ensembles. Her choral works have been popular since 1962, with the publishing of her Three Madrigals, composed for the Arlington Public Schools in Virginia as part of her Composer-in Residence Award of the Ford Foundation. However, her later works, particularly her most recent choral works are less well-known and less performed. Although she has been the subject of numerous dissertations, books, and interviews, none has focused on her shorter choral works composed since 1987. These works deserve more attention and more performances because of their variety, versatility, accessibility, and quality. This dissertation will analyze eleven of her most recent choral works to illuminate her continued contributions to the choral repertoire.