This study employed an exploratory approach by applying practice theory to insights gathered throughthe triangulation of interview, document analysis and observation methodologies to 1) map the SacredHarp Singing practice scope and give a nuanced picture of its performativity in the Netherlands, witha particular focus on the Sacred Harp group from Amsterdam comparing it to one from Bremen and 2)investigate the underlying rise of transformative emotions, the social, secular, and religious meanings, andthe sense of belonging to an international community. The findings suggest that Sacred Harp enthusiastsin the region are keen on retaining the legacies of the traditional singers by establishing similar singingatmospheres and by following the practice’s historical customs and practices, including the communalsinging in the “hollow square” and the affinity towards democratic participation. The findings alsoindicate that while there is a noticeable level of commitment and excitement among local enthusiasts,the growth of the groups’ memberships is hampered by a lack of interest by the general public, possiblyin connection with insufficient strategies for publicizing the practice. Therefore, the existence of thesebarriers could imply that the practice would probably grow at a relatively slow pace in the region.
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Dysarthritic Parkinson speech is characterised by impairment of expressive linguistic prosody, even making it difficult to understand. While rigidity and bradykinesia can be held responsible for a general decline in speaking ability, the origin of prosodic impairment must be seen in the light of the accompanying impairments of receptive prosody such as the inability to recognize intonational meaning and make lexical distinctions based on stress contrasts . The stimulating effect of music on motor coordination in afflicted patients suggests that music might have a similar effect on vocal behavior. It could be hypothesized that the singing of Parkinson patients might remain relatively unaffected by the disease. In this study, vocal improvisation was used to compare the singing of Parkinson patients with that of healthy controls, matched for age and gender. When F0 , range, mean absolute slope, and tempo were contrasted, Parkinson patients did not differ significantly from controls.
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