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
Last year’s win
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Category Archives: Composition
Upcoming recital
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
Competition win!
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.
New CD
A new CD of organ music played by Kurt Ison at Christ Church St Laurence, Sydney on the Hill organ features Brett’s Voluntary on Tallis’ Canon. This piece won the inaugural RSCM ACT Composition Competition for a liturgical keyboard work, but is also appropriate for and has been used for recital. It has been played in recital at St Paul’s Cathedral, London and elsewhere.
The CD is available on ebay at https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/202154405376?ul_noapp=true for AUD$25.
The score may be purchased at: http://www.australiancomposers.com.au/authors/brett-m-mckern/voluntary-on-tallis-canon-score for AUD$12.
New composition premiere
The Braybn Singers are premiering my new Missa Brevis commissioned by them this coming Sunday 24-x-2017 at the 9.30am Choral Mass at St John’s in Gordon NSW. Everyone welcome!
Another review
… of the Song Company concert series, Bach and Forward, which featured my Ein Feste Burg commissioned for the series, and based on Luther’s hymn and marking his 500th anniversary. This review is of the Canberra concert:
New Videos of organ compositions
Enjoy these new video montages of two of my organ compositions (on YouTube):
Voluntary on “Tallis’ Canon”. The score for this work can be bought from Wirripang at www.australiancomposers.com.au.
Passacaglia for the Epiphany from Epiphany Suite. The score for the Suite can be bought from Wirripang at www.australiancomposers.com.au.
Scherzo for piano on YouTube
Here are some more YouTube performances of my Scherzo for piano from the AMEB Piano Series 17 Grade Book for Preliminary. The work is set in the syllabus for LIST A.
The AMEB book containing the work can be purchased from the AMEB online shop.
Thank you to all those who have played, recorded and performed this piece. I hope you enjoy it.
Concert this Wednesday (29 June 2016)
This Wednesday 29 June 2016 at 1.30pm, Brett is playing an organ recital for the Roseville Music Club at St Luke’s Church, 28 Lord Street, Roseville.
Repertoire includes music by Campra, Guilmant, Bach, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, and Brett’s own Voluntary on ‘Tallis’ Canon’ as well as an improvisation.
Entry $20/15.
Voluntary on Tallis’ Canon performance THIS THURSDAY
This Thursday June 2, at 1.10pm, Kurt Ison is playing the Organ Recital at St Andrew’s Cathedral, George Street, Sydney.
Mr Ison will play Brett’s Voluntary on ‘Tallis’ Canon’ (opus 118).
Other works on the programme are:
- César Franck: Choral no 2 in B minor
- Henry Purcell: ‘Chaconne’ (King Arthur)
- Charles V Stanford: ‘The Bluebird’ (opus 119, no.3) arranged by John Keene
Entry is by donation.
Brett McKern 