Intercultural Sacred Music: A Portfolio of Original Compositions Exploring Singaporean and Southeast Asian Influences

Abstract

Colonial hierarchies that once privileged Western sonic ideals still shape, to varying degrees, the practice of sacred music across Southeast Asia. Although intercultural practices are gaining currency in secular art music, sacred art music remains slower to adapt because of established church practices, inherited Christian missionary repertoires, and the risk-averse nature of concert programming. In this commentary and portfolio of original compositions, I suggest the emergent opportunities for sacred music to become a site of respectful cultural encounter, where Southeast Asian musical materials and narratives can converse meaningfully with Western art music genres. I ask how my own practice as a Singaporean composer trained in Western art music, yet informed by Southeast Asian cultural traditions, might foster theological reflection and intercultural engagement that is both spiritually meaningful and culturally grounded. I also consider how a composer can resist Western structural dominance while still working within its frameworks. I approach the questions through a practice-led methodology, in which compositional experimentation and rehearsal enquiry with Western-trained performers explore strategies of contextualisation and Southeast Asian musical thought. Analyses of five concert pieces, and the major work Lux Luminosa, demonstrate possibilities for sacred art music to serve as a dynamic space of cultural negotiation and theological reflection.

Date of Award	29 Jun 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of St Andrews
Supervisor	Oliver Searle (Supervisor), Stuart MacRae (Supervisor) & Zechariah Goh (Supervisor)