St Augustine's College (New South Wales) - Choral and Sacred Music

Choral and Sacred Music

A choral tradition was established at the Brookvale college from the 1950s. The treble/ alto/ tenor/ bass boys' choir was founded under the direction of musician and liturgist the Rev. Patrick Fahey OSA (on staff 1959-72). Affiliated to the Little Singers of the Wooden Cross (Pueri Cantores) and the Royal School of Church Music, its boys' choir was nationally famous for its liturgies, Eisteddfod wins, interstate tours and concerts. It toured Queensland in 1968, 1970 and 1972. After its success at the NSW Conservatorium of Music in the 1966 "Mirror" Choral Championships for Boys, it became the official Festival Records Boys choir and cut commercial recordings. It sang for the first visit of a pope to Australia, Pope Paul VI, in 1970. It likewise assisted in the Australian premiere of Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki's St. Luke Passion at the Sydney Opera House under the direction of Australian conductor Patrick Thomas in 1974. The performance was held in the presence of the composer. The school's liturgical choral tradition was continued vigorously through the 1970s and 1980s (by daily rehearsal and the annual choir camp) through a regular programme of Masses, Compline and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and public concerts. The choral repertoire and general musicianship of students were extended and promoted by musicians including the Rev. Ronald Bopf OSA (on staff 1957-74), Madge Wilson (sight singing and classroom music), the Rev. Senan Ward OSA (on staff 1975-82, 87-89), Peter Bohrsmann (on staff 1968-74, 77-81, and Choirmaster 1973-74, and member of St Mary's Cathedral Choir, Sydney), Errol Lea-Scarlett (on staff 1963-76, also then Organist of St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney), and Ann Sutcliffe (on staff 1972-80, Choirmaster 1975-80). Since the 1990s, the college's choral and sacred music has had a lesser priority among the college's many co-curricular activities.