My new solo organ CD, called ‘Noteworthy’, recorded on the 2019 South Island Organ Company organ at St John’s Gordon, NSW is now available.
Music is by Mendelssohn, J.S. Bach, Handel, Guilmant, Howells, McKern, and others.
Available as a physical CD or download, it is available from https://soundwright.com.au/?product=noteworthy or from the church at http://stjohnsgordon.org.au/st-johns-music-association/
Two new volumes of asynchronous choral music have been published, edited by Brett and A/Prof. Diana Blom. This music is designed for live performance, OR can be performed over the web on platforms like Zoom or Skype. While an exploration of asynchronous choral techniques, this repertoire will also be useful for choirs who want to continue singing as a group activity during lockdown or socially distanced. They can be purchased as a PDF download or hardcopy at: https://www.australiancomposers.com.au/collections/print-music/products/out-of-time and https://www.australiancomposers.com.au/collections/print-music/products/copy-of-out-of-time-volume-2.
There are some new additions to this website. Now, many of the Funeral Music suggestions and some of the Wedding Music suggestions include links to short YouTube videos of Brett playing these works (or at least excerpts thereof). This will hopefully help making selections for these important occasions simpler.
Would you like to improve your music theory skills? Study composition? Do you need to get your co-requsite exam to get your practical certificate or diploma?
Theory and compositions can be by Skype, saving you travelling time and cost; or at Gordon, near Camden, or in the Southern Highlands, NSW.
See the Lessons and Lessons by Skype pages, or contact Brett.
Do you need a music theory or musicianship teacher? See the lessons page or Lessons by Skype. Brett would be happy to be in contact with potential students.
Brett is giving the annual Earthquake Memorial Concert on Sunday 10th February 2019 at 2.30pm at Sacred Heart Basilica in Timaru, NZ.
This concert is a memorial to the three men from South Island Organ Company who lost their lives in the 2011 Earthquake while preserving a pipe organ damaged in the previous major quake. It is thus a great honour for Brett to have been asked to play. While the programme includes some memorial music, a variety of repertoire will be presented, and additionally two vocal solos will be sung.
Entry to the concert is free, but a donation towards expenses is appreciated.
Further details are available at the link below:
Herewith the University’s page addressing the Isabel Menton Composition Award 2017 – Brett won the Liturgical Division.
http://www.acu.edu.au/connect_with_acu/social/acu_isabel_menton_composition_award_2017
This Thursday, 22 February, Brett is playing the organ recital at St Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney 1.10-1.40pm. The programme is below. All welcome!
J.S. Bach Fugue a la Gigue
Sir George Thalben-Ball Elegy
Mendelssohn Prelude & Fugue Op.37, No.1
Brett McKern
Meditation on In Paradisum
Tuba Tune
Verset No.1
Théodore Dubois Toccata
Congratulations are in order for one of Brett’s students who was recently awarded the Licentiate Diploma of Trinity College of Music, London (LTCL) in composition. This is a significant achievement. Well done!
Brett’s new choral work Joyful we Adore You (for SATB with piano or organ) has won the liturgical division of the Isobel Menton Composition Award 2017. This award his been run annually three times by the Australian Catholic University.
The work uses the hymn text made famous in the movie Sister Act and often sung to the famous tune from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Ode to Joy. Brett’s is a completely new setting and is tuneful and approachable by amatur choirs as well as those more capable.
The socre is under exclusive use for 12 months by the University choirs before being made available for general use under the conditions of the award.
Brett McKern 