Literature in our Collection
(M-Z)

Moyle, Richard M.: Alyawarra Music. Songs and society in a central Australian community, Canberra 1986, ISBN 0855751401

Table of Contents        ¦         Cover Text        ¦         Book Review

Table of Contents

Preface -1-

Orthography and illustrations: Musical orthography - Linguistic orthography - Illustrative material -7-

Introduction: The location and constitution of Alyawarra Territory and Agharringa Country - Contact with Europeans - The Dreamtime - Secrecy -10-

Social structure and ceremonial ownership -22-

The extend of Agharringa Country -39-

Categories of songs: Awulya - Mpwaltja - Ngirtilingkwa - Ltarta - Charms -52-

Apulha: Preliminary - First day - First night - Second night - Semifinal night - Final night - Pitjawurrawurra - Symbolism -76-

Musical instruments: Single sticks beaten on the ground - A shield beaten on the ground - Pairs of boomerangs - Handclapping (alpirrnga) - Laslal (alpirringa) - Striking the chest - Stones beaten on the ground - Pairs of sticks - The kurnatja -128-

Composition -132-

Song performance: The role of the song leader - Timing - Proxemics - Breathing - Impina: 'main one' - Pitch fluctuation - Performance errors, and the role of the leader - Musical terminology -135-

Children's music -149-

The Sample -152-

Analysis: Treatment of the melodic nucleus - Breath breaks - Isorhythmic formulae - Skeletal melodies - Tonality -155-

Musical notations: Apulha - Awulya - Mpwaltja - Ngirtilingkwa - Awampirra - Form - Structure - Derived scales -181-

Conclusions -254-

Glossary of Alyawarra terms -261-

Bibliography - 263-

Index -266-

Cover Text

Living to the north-east of Alice Springs in Australia's Northern Territory, the Alyawarra people have largely escaped European influences, and their musical and ceremonial traditions have not merely survived but continue to flourish. The community members take pride in the vitality of their music and ceremony, which permeates their daily lives. In 'Alyawarra Music', Dr Richard Moyle describes the richness and variety of the musical life and presents musical evidence showing how, for the Alyawarra, ownership of songs is linked to ownership of traditional land. This companion volume to Richard Mayle's 'Songs of the Pintupi', published by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies in 1979, probes more deeply into the basis of musical structure and style in Aboriginal Australia than any other published work. Transcriptions of nearly 200 songs are included, all of which are translated into English. The book is also lavishly illustrated with photographs, diagrams, and musical example and notations. 'Alyawarra Music' must become essential reading for anthropologists and the musically-minded, as well as for all who wish to understand why music and ceremonies are so enduring and so important to Aboriginal live in central Australia.