Dr Brett McKern (organ) and Dr Geoffery Gartner (‘cello) are giving a recital on Sunday 21 September at 2.30pm at St Mark’s Church, corner of Darling Point Road and Greenoaks Avenue, Darling Point in Sydney. Tickets at the door. All welcome!
Repertoire to include unaccompanied Bach cello music, organ and cello music by Frescobaldi and Saint-Saens, and organ music by Vierne and McKern.
At 7pm tonight Brett joins with soprano Tanith Bryce, trumpeter Simon Wolnizer and readers to present “Remembering World War I”, a concert of music and poetry from the time and about World War I.
The venue is the Church of St John the Evangelist, 754 Pacific Highway, Gordon (corner of St Johns Ave). Parking in the church grounds is available of St Johns Avenue. The train station is only a block away.
Entry is by programme, $10 at the door and includes a hot supper after the concert.
Join us to hear some lighter moments, some personal moments, and the excitement some of the young soldiers must have felt, as well as the tragic side of this dreadful war. The concert includes an act of remembrance for us to pay our respects, as well as some fun songs with which to sing along.
Join us at 7pm tonight!
Thank you to those who alerted me to ABC Classic Drive’s playing of my Scherzo for saxophone last night at 6pm. And thank you to all who listened too! Well done Rob and Ben, the performers; and Wirripang the producers of the CD.
ABC listing: http://www.abc.net.au/classic/music-listings/?date=2014-07-10
Remember you can buy this CD and score at Wirripang:
http://www.australiancomposers.com.au/cds/classical/australian-saxophone-anthology-the-cd
The Winter 2014 issue of the Sydney Organ Journal (p.7) carried this short notice written by Peter Meyer:
New Australian organ music. It is usually interesting to hear the first performance of new music, especially new Australian compositions for organ. The Thursday lunchtime recitals at St Andrew’s Cathedral is perhaps the Sydney venue where such music is most likely to be performed. On 27 March Kurt Ison played Verset No.1 and Tierce en Taille, both composed earlier this year by Brett McKern. Both sounded accessible to listeners and good players alike and, as their titles suggest, are well suited to liturgical use.
Thank you Peter, Kurt, and the SOJ!
These two works are from a collection called Sunday Voluntaries which will eventually be of 50 short organ solos designed for liturgical use. It will be published by Wirripang. I am very proud to be a Wirripang composer.
Thank you to those who listened to the broadcast of my Scherzo on ABC Classic Drive last night, and to those who would have if they could have! All the kind comments have been much appreciated. Brett.
It was lovely today to receive an email from a bride for whose wedding I recently played the organ…
“[We] were blown away with your amazing playing and your professionalism. Music was just perfect for the occasion. Thank you so so much. I would love to hear you again…”
On Thursday 27 March at 1.10pm at St Andrew’s Cathedral, next to Town Hall in Sydney, organist Kurt Ison will premiere two new short organ works. Verset No.1 and Tierce en Taille are from Brett’s upcoming book of organ voluntaries called Sunday Voluntaries. Entry to the recital is by donation.
On Sunday 9 March Brett’s Voluntary on ‘Tallis’ Canon’ was the recessional at the 2014 AMEB Presentation Ceremony, performed by the composer. Thank you to all those who made positive comments, not just about the piece, but the inclusion and prominence of contemporary Australian repertoire.
On Sunday 5th January 2014, the Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany, organist Heather Moen-Boyd premiered Brett’s Sarabande for the Epiphany. It was performed at Trinity College Melbourne as part of a concert during the RSCM Summer School.
This organ work is based on the Gregorian introit for the Epiphany, as are Brett’s Passacaglia and Gigue Fugue for the Epiphany. All three together form a Suite for the Epiphany or Suite on a Gregorian Theme (the latter title used when it is performed at other times of the year). The Passacaglia was written for organist Kurt Ison and has been performed in Westminster Abbey, St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney and St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne. The Sarabande premiered on Sunday last was written for Heather Moen-Boyd. The Gigue Fugue for Sydney organist Stacey Yang. The entire suite lasts about 16 minutes.
The Passacaglia will be performed on 26 January in the USA by organist Dr Brent Nolte – see the below post for details.
Congratulations Heather – I have received lovely comments about the performance – and thank you!
Brett McKern 