Randi M. Clausen Aarflot: The importance of children's choirs in the Church of Norway.

Field of study: Music Education

The project aims to examine what the children's choirs in the Church of Norway mean to different groups: the children who participate, their parents/guardians, different groups of employees and the church as an organization.

The research question being explored is:

What discourses exist around the significance of children's choirs in the Church of Norway?

Interviews and document analysis will be used as data collection methods. The theoretical perspectives include discourse analysis based on the theories of Laclau and Mouffe, with particular focus on identifying antagonistic discourses. Hartmut Rosa's theory of resonance will also be included in the discussion.

The study will contribute to CERM's interest for research regarding music education for children and youth in recreational music organization, and it may be relevant for the development of the church music programme at NMH. Additionally, the project will most likely contribute with methodological competence in research involving children.

***

Randi Aarflot is enrolled in the PhD programme in Music Research from 1 September 2025.