Australian folk songs: there is certainly a wealth of them! Many had their origins in this land, whilst others were brought here by newcomers from other lands and have now became an integral part of The Australian culture. Whilst they were once well-known and widely sung across the country, this is, sadly, less so [...]
I wonder how many of you remember the Broadway musical Mame? (It was also made into a movie starring Angela Lansbury.) In the musical, the title character, Mame Dennis, is a wealthy New York socialite who unexpectedly finds herself mentor to her newly orphaned, 10-year-old nephew, Patrick. Together, she and Patrick spend some time enjoying [...]
There is no doubt that, currently, we are all living in unprecedented times. Following the outbreak of Covid-19 in China and its subsequent classification as a pandemic, the epicentre of the contagion quickly spread to Europe. Italy soon became one of most severely impacted countries, placing a great strain on its emergency workers, its [...]
New Release Choral Music Arrangements for Autumn 2020 In the Southern Hemisphere, the month of March marks the beginning of Autumn - the season of cooler weather and falling leaves. In the lead-up to Autumn, through the on-going drought, the devestating bushfires and the welcome flooding rains of February (contrasts so typical of the Australian [...]
Especially for Australian choirs and solo singers, here are six hot-off-the-press arrangements of Christmas in Australia – the theme song from the made-for-TV movie Blinky Bill's White Christmas. I first heard this great little piece of Australiana back in 2005 when the movie first aired on the Seven Network. It then surfaced again in 2007 when [...]
I am sure that most choir directors who have ensembles performing Christmas songs and carols over the festive season would be aware of the Coventry Carol (sometimes referred to as Lully, Lullay). The carol refers to the 'massacre of the innocents' which took place when King Herod ordered his soldiers to slay all male children in [...]
When it comes time to decide on the Christmas music repertoire for my choirs for the coming festive season, I always like to include one or two new compositions or arrangements along with the 'old favourites'. The old favourites allow for a focus on preserving the traditions of the season; on presenting audiences with pieces that [...]
I was recently honoured and privileged to be invited to attend the Asia Pacific Choral Summit in Hong Kong 2019 as a presenter and adjudicator. This event, held from 21 to 24 July 2019, was an initiative of the Hong Kong Children's Choir, organised as part of celebrations to mark this famous choir's 50th anniversary. [...]
The Diamantina Drover is the fourth in my new series of Australian folk songs arranged for choir. Whilst not a true folk song, it is written in a folk-like style and tells the story of a drover - a theme common to a good number of Australian bush songs. Written by Australian singer-songwriter Hugh McDonald [...]
Moreton Bay is the third in my new series of Australian bush songs arranged for choir. It is sometimes referred to as The Convict's Lament. This emotive Australian folk ballad, which tells of the hardships experienced by a convict at the Moreton Bay penal settlement, is arranged for TBB choir with piano accompaniment. The story of Moreton Bay The [...]
