Christian Hymns of the Torres Strait Islands(Papers Read at the 31th National Congress)

Abstract

Torres Strait separates nothern Queensland from the Trans-Fly district of Papua. The Torres Strait Islanders were Melanesian in appearance and culture, but they were very early exposed to European and Polynesian influence. The islanders have their own 'language' hymns and dance songs. Traditional group singing is always heterophonic (three-part singing). The basic tune of each hymns has a tonal center, symbolized TC, but there are few intervals below it. Hymns begin typically at a perfect fourth below TC and end on TC ; beginning with TC and ending on TC is also common. The perfect fourth below TC precedes the tonal center but seldom follows it. A major third above TC is found to both precede and follow TC as well as a major second, a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth above TC, while, in dance songs, it does not always precede or follow those intervals. Melodies of language hymns have the arc contour, while dance songs have 'tumbling' melodies whose contour is primarily a descent and whose initial interval is likely to be a wide leap upward.