“Proclaiming the Kingship/Supremacy of God” in Selected Choral Compositions of Kras Kofi Arthur

Abstract

Kras Arthur, a fourth-generation choral music composer, has many choral music compositions to his credit. His choice of text harps on the kingship/supremacy of God. This paper analyzes selected pieces of Kras Arthur and suggests that he writes to uphold the kingship of God. The paper identifies the composer’s pieces that address the kingship of God and seeks to unravel how his melodic constructs are achieved using texts that adapt to God’s kingship and His supremacy. Through purposive sampling of Kras Arthur’s choral pieces and further analysis, using textual and melodic parameters, and subsequently an interaction with the composer, the paper addresses the lack of suitable material for the study of choral music composition, especially from the African perspective.