Film scores typically feature large instrumental ensembles, sometimes with choir added at pivotal moments. Rarely, however, is the choir entrusted with a greater percentage of the score, and far too scores explore the sonic potential that vocal music has to offer. In fact, in a recent study of 800 films, none contained a score that was completely c. Thus, the body of unaccompanied choral film scores is practically non-existent. This curious gap in repertoire inspired me to create the documentary Downstream (2023) and score it entirely with an unaccompanied choir. The full score to this new work is contained within this thesis, along with a cursory analysis and historical overview of choral music in film. Finally, as a template and test case for other composers, I provide insight and analysis into my own creative process and unique challenges and benefits afforded by vocal ensembles in film.
","abstract_html":"<p>Film scores typically feature large instrumental ensembles, sometimes with choir added at pivotal moments. Rarely, however, is the choir entrusted with a greater percentage of the score, and far too scores explore the sonic potential that vocal music has to offer. In fact, in a recent study of 800 films, none contained a score that was completely c. Thus, the body of unaccompanied choral film scores is practically non-existent. This curious gap in repertoire inspired me to create the documentary <em>Downstream </em>(2023) and score it entirely with an unaccompanied choir. The full score to this new work is contained within this thesis, along with a cursory analysis and historical overview of choral music in film. Finally, as a template and test case for other composers, I provide insight and analysis into my own creative process and unique challenges and benefits afforded by vocal ensembles in film.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Moore, Zachary James"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Music","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"School of Music","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Stephen Lias","Dr. Ben Morris","Dr. Michael Murphy"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2023-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:37Z","subjects":["Film A cappella Choir Downstream Unaccompanied Score","Composition"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/488","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Stephen Lias","Dr. Ben Morris","Dr. Michael Murphy"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Moore, Zachary James"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2023-05-05T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["School of Music"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Music"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Film A cappella Choir Downstream Unaccompanied Score","Composition"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/488"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Film scores typically feature large instrumental ensembles, sometimes with choir added at pivotal moments. Rarely, however, is the choir entrusted with a greater percentage of the score, and far too scores explore the sonic potential that vocal music has to offer. In fact, in a recent study of 800 films, none contained a score that was completely c. Thus, the body of unaccompanied choral film scores is practically non-existent. This curious gap in repertoire inspired me to create the documentary Downstream (2023) and score it entirely with an unaccompanied choir. The full score to this new work is contained within this thesis, along with a cursory analysis and historical overview of choral music in film. Finally, as a template and test case for other composers, I provide insight and analysis into my own creative process and unique challenges and benefits afforded by vocal ensembles in film.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Score of Voices: Creating and Scoring an Original Film With A cappella Choir"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Stephen Lias","Dr. Ben Morris","Dr. Michael Murphy"],"dc:creator":["Moore, Zachary James"],"dc:date.available":["2023-05-05T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Film scores typically feature large instrumental ensembles, sometimes with choir added at pivotal moments. Rarely, however, is the choir entrusted with a greater percentage of the score, and far too scores explore the sonic potential that vocal music has to offer. In fact, in a recent study of 800 films, none contained a score that was completely c. Thus, the body of unaccompanied choral film scores is practically non-existent. This curious gap in repertoire inspired me to create the documentary Downstream (2023) and score it entirely with an unaccompanied choir. The full score to this new work is contained within this thesis, along with a cursory analysis and historical overview of choral music in film. Finally, as a template and test case for other composers, I provide insight and analysis into my own creative process and unique challenges and benefits afforded by vocal ensembles in film.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/488"],"dc:subject":["Film A cappella Choir Downstream Unaccompanied Score","Composition"],"dc:title":["A Score of Voices: Creating and Scoring an Original Film With A cappella Choir"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["School of Music"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Music"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:30:37Z"}