26 March 2025
1.15pm at St Jude’s Church Bowral
If you’re in Bowral today, you might enjoy coming to Brett’s organ recital at St Jude’s Church at 1.15pm. A major Bach work is on the programme, a McKern premiere, and music by Thalben-Ball, Young, and Rawsthorne.
Brett’s Organ Album No. 1 has recently been published by Wirripang. It includes 20 short pieces for church and recital use. Some are inspired by the Old English tradition, and some by the French Classical tradition, and some are completely new. It is believed that the volume includes the first ever Dulciana Voluntaries. The music was composed between 2012-2024 and has inspired other composers to engage with the Old English tradition of organ music too. Organ Album No. 1 can be purchased as an instant download or sheet music here: https://www.australiancomposers.com.au/products/five-hymn-voluntaries?_pos=49&_sid=a555960c9&_ss=r
You can also hear a performance of five of the works from Organ Album No. 1 by James Flores as below.
Brett’s Five Hymn Voluntaries has recently been published by Wirripang. It includes Voluntaries on Tallis’ Canon, Wachet Auf, Wilhelmus, St Oswald, and Repton. It can be purchased as an instant download or sheet music here: https://www.australiancomposers.com.au/products/five-hymn-voluntaries?_pos=49&_sid=a555960c9&_ss=r.
You can also hear a performance of the Voluntary on Repton by James Flores here:
On Wednesday 11 December 2024 at 10.30am at St Jude’s Church in Bowral NSW, the Highlands Sinfonia, a local orchestra in Bowral, is premiering Brett’s Christmas Organ Concerto (Organ Concerto No.2). Research suggests that apart from some often well-known Baroque concerti grossi for Christmas, this is the first organ concerto written for Christmas, and possibly the first solo instrument Christmas concerto. [If anyone knows others, Brett would be delighted to hear.] Tickets available at the door: $25. All welcome.
Brett is playing the Friday 1.10pm Lunchtime concert on 27 September 2024 at St Stephen’s Church, Macquarie Street, Sydney. All welcome!
The programme is:
Brett’s next recital is Wednesday 25th September 2024 at 1.15pm at St Jude’s Church, Bendooley Street, Bowral.
Music is to include the beautiful Berceuse by Vierne, Whitlock’s Folk Tune, S.S. Wesley’s Choral Song & Fugue, and the premiere of Brett’s two short organ works: Dulciana Voluntary No.1 and Chanson du Hautbois.
The Dulciana Voluntary is a genre believed to be pioneered by Brett, and is based on concepts from early English organ genres (which included Diapason Voluntaries, Trumpet Voluntaries, and Cornet Voluntaries).
Brett’s next recital is Wednesday 28 August at 1.15pm at St Jude’s Bowral. This is the third concert in the series celebrating the completion of the rebuild of the St Jude’s organ. Music will include Mendelsohn’s Sonata No. 6, Vaughan Williams’ Rosymedre, and the premiere of my new ‘A Little Passacaglia & Fugue in memoriam Robert Smith’, commissioned by his widow. It is a great honour to have been asked to compose and now play this work. We hope you can join us on this occasion to honour Sydney Organist Robert Smith’s memory.
Brett’s next organ recital is Wednesday 31 July at 1.15pm at St Jude’s Church in Bowral.
It’s another ‘Famous Tunes’ recital with music of broad appeal.
All welcome!
All welcome to this next recital at St Jude’s Church, Bendooley Street, Bowral.
Brett is giving an organ recital at 1.15pm on Wednesday 24 April 2024 at St Jude’s Church, Bendooley Street, Bowral. Programme:
All welcome!
Brett McKern 