Abstract

It is known that many choirs in European countries perform different styles of traditional songs in different languages in their repertoire. However, Turkish contemporary polyphonic choral works which have specific harmony and timbres effected by makam may not be known as the others. In this context, the main aim of this study is to introduce these specific harmonies and timbres to the foreigners and to learn their opinions about Turkish polyphonic choral music. In this study, Italian students were preferred as foreigners because it is thought that Italian sounds clear and sonorant and its intonation is similar to Turkish. The study group consisted of nine volunteer participants from a chamber choir whom the researcher gave chorus courses at the Conservatory of Giovan Battista Martini in Bologna in Italy, which had a bilateral agreement with the University of Ordu under Erasmus Academic Staff Teaching Mobility Programme. The Turkish choral work, called “Suda Balık Oynuyor”, was taught, and a semi-structured interview form was conducted. The results indicated that although the students had difficulties regarding Turkish pronunciation because of them singing a Turkish choral song for the first time, and they also had problems in performing the makam scales in Turkish music, they performed the song correctly. They were interested in the choral work they studied, and emphasized that it had characteristic features, especially the timbres, according to the songs in their own repertoire. According to the results, suggestions were improved. The Turkish choral works can be translated into their languages, besides the original Turkish language, and can be published. In this way, they can understand the meanings of the lyrics easily. Moreover, foreign choir conductors can learn and have knowledge about the pronunciations, articulations, and themes of Turkish choral works with the help of the Turkish students studying in their universities. Thus, Turkish polyphonic choral music containing the specific traditional timbres can be known and performed by foreign choirs.

Keywords: choir, singing, conservatory, contemporary choral song, Turkish pronunciation.