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A survey of the choral music and writings of Merrill Bradshaw and analyses of representative works

American composer and educator Merrill Bradshaw (1929-2000) was a visible and influential figure as professor of music and composer-in-residence at Brigham Young University. He composed many choral and choral/orchestral works that were highly acclaimed and frequently performed throughout his career. Most of his music, however, was either never published, or was published by companies that are now defunct or cater to a relatively limited market. His influence, however, extended beyond his teaching and composing to a significant collection of writings that explore issues of Mormonism and the arts. This paper explores Bradshaw’s choral music, specifically the influences that led to the development of an eclectic approach to music composition, and Bradshaw’s influence in perpetuating Mormon musical culture. Chapter 1 provides personal and professional background on Bradshaw. Chapter 2 gives a brief history of the development of music composition among Mormon composers and describes Bradshaw’s views on Mormonism and the arts. Chapter 3 discusses how his views aided in the development of a compositional style. Chapter 4 provides a summary of his compositional output, examples of stylistic characteristics of Bradshaw’s music, and representative analyses of a selection of Bradshaw’s choral works. Works analyzed include The Articles of Faith (1960), Three Songs on Verses by Emily Dickinson (1967), Psalm XCVI (1969), and three movements from The Restoration (1974). An appendix includes a listing of Bradshaw’s choral works.