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Composers and Authors

Australian Heritage Collection Volume I

By Jeanell Carrigan

Regular price $45.00 Sale

Piano music by Australian Women Composers 
There were many examples in the early part of the twentieth century in Australia of women who were exceptional pianists and who also wrote a great number of piano works. Many of these women were labelled child prodigies and obviously showed enormous potential and musical ability. These women performed as soloists and accompanists and contributed hugely to the musical and cultural life in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. They also left a large collection of compositions written for the solo keyboard.

To produce these three volumes within this Collection, Dr Jeanell Carrigan has researched and edited almost 50 works of Australian women composers, most of which have never been published. Each volume is accompanied by a CD of its works recorded by Jeanell. and biographical notes on each composer. All the composers were born between 1862 and 1915.  Many of them lived for the whole of the twentieth century, and in that time experienced many changes in the way music was composed, thought about  written about and performed.  Of course, they experienced many difficulties.  To be a composer in Australia during this period was a difficult enough, and to be a woman, was short of impossible!

The composers in this volume:  

Ada Maud Fitz-Stubbs (1861-1949); Mona McBurney (1862-1932); Florence Donaldson Ewart (1864-1949); Mary Bowden (1868-1950); (Annie) May Summerbelle (1868-1949); Esther Khan (1877-1962); Una Bounre (1882-1974); May Brahe (1855-1956) and Katherine (Kitty) Parker (1886-1971)

 "Nostalgia" CD is a collection of 28 works from these volumes and is available online

Nostalgia

Download sheet music samples and full length sound files for each work

Ada Maud Fitz-Stubbs (1861-1949)

Mona McBurney (1862-1932)

Florence Donaldson Ewart (1864-1949)

Mary Bowden (1868-1950)

(Annie) May Summerbelle (1867-1949)

    Esther Kahn (1877-1962)

    Una Bourne (1882-1974)

    May Brahe (1885-1956)

    Katherine (Kitty) Parker (Eisdell) (1886-1971)

    ISMN 9790720166926

    $35.00 for instant PDF download see:Buy Now

    Composers' Series, The - Volume 4 Piano Solos (Bourne)

    By Una Bournne

    Regular price $50.00 Sale

    Una Bourne (1882-1974)

    23 piano solos from 1882 (aged 5 years) to 1974 are represented in this collection and includes biographical notes about the composer, editorial and performance notes about each piano composition, the scores and a recording by Jeanell Carrigan of all works in the hard copy.

    “The distinction of Miss Una Bourne’s playing seems to lie in the fact that the imagination and thought by which she has formed her musical conceptions is perfectly expressed in her technique.”

    “As a pianist Una Bourne plays with her mind and her brain and her heart, as well as her fingers and is the most perfect concert artist to ever grace a concert platform”

    The above quotes describing the wonderful musicianship and deft technique of Una Bourne are echoed in every account, suggesting that she certainly must have been an exceptional musician and pianist.

    Unpublished piano solos also found in the archives include three more difficult works:
    Valse Lente (unpublished)
    Menuet (unpublished)
    Papillons (unpublished)

    Volume 4 - Una Bourne

    Researched and edited by Jeanell Carrigan

    Full length sound files and/or, YouTube links

    ISMN 979072022705
    $35.00 for instant PDF download Buy Now


    As part of 'The Composer's Series' many of these works have been recorded by Jeanell Carrigan on a CDs: Nostalgia (Wirr080) and  Reverie (Wirr 106)

    Composing Against the Tide

    By Jeanell Carrigan

    Regular price $45.00 Sale

    Early twentieth century Australian women composers and their piano music.

    There were a relatively large number of women born in Australia between 1860 and 1915 who became composers of piano music. For many of them this was not an easy task. They did not always receive encouragement. Certainly many could not earn a living at this creative work and they battled not only the gender inequality that still largely exists today but also against musical fashion and trends that their works did not always reflect, as well as the backlash which came from being born into a ‘colonial’ country.  This is their story.

    Australian Heritage Collection - the piano works of these women have been published in three volumes as researched and edited by Jeanell. Each volume contains a CD of the works within. 

    A CD Nostalgia has been released with many of these works recorded by Jeanell.  It was featured as ABC Classic FM "CD of the week", November 2016. 

    All piano works available online - Australian Heritage Collection Volumes I, II, III


    ISBN 9781876829421

    Nostalgia CD

    By Jeanell Carrigan

    Regular price $25.00 Sale

    Jeanell Carrigan (piano)

    Alfred Hill, the Australian composer is reputed to have said “To me there are only two kinds of music - good or bad. All old music has at one time been modern and all modern music will one day become old so why worry? Time is a great critic that puts them in their place”. 
    The piano compositions on this recording have been deliberately chosen because of their beauty, their inherent musicality, the craft and skill of the composers and their appeal to the listener. Not considered in their selection was any decision based on whether the style was the fashion at the time of their composition. All of the composers on this recording are Australian women who were born between 1862 and 1915.
    To support this recording, Dr Jeanell Carrigan has researched and compiled three volumes of scores of these and additional piano works, most of which have not previously been published.  These volumes, together with individual CDs, are available online.

    Wirr 080

    Download samples 

    1   A Water Colour (Katherine Parker)
    2   The Watermill (Ester Kahn)
    3   The Lake (Dulcie Holland)
    4   Pastorale (Peggy Glanville Hicks)
    5   Country Dance (Iris de Cairos Rego)
    6   Prelude No. I (Florence Donaldson Ewart)
    7   Prelude No. II (Florence Donaldson Ewart)
    8   Prelude No. III (Florence Donaldson Ewart)
    9   Prelude (Phyllis Batchelor)
    10  Sarabande (Phyllis Batchelor)
    11  Dithyramb - a ballet (Margaret Sutherland)
    12  Ballerina (Miriam Hyde)
    13  Arc-e Ciel (Katherine Parker)
    14  The Ballerina (Marjorie Hesse)
    15  Gavotte (Mona McBurney
    16  Waltz in E (Iris de Cairos Rego)
    17  Echo de Vienne (Esther Rofe)
    18  Valse Gracieuse (Marjorie Hesse)
    19  Marche Grotesque (Una Bourne)
    20  Melody in Ab (Mary Bowden)
    21  Miniature Variations on a Theme in A minor (Esther Rofe)
    22  Ritsel (Meta Overman)
    23  Will o'the Wisp (Mirrie Hill)
    24  Prelude (Mirrie Hill)
    25  Fun (Mirrie Hill)
    26  Meditation (Nellie Cuddigan)
    27  Nocturne for Piano (Dulcie Holland)
    28 Nocturne (Katherine Parker)

    Reverie - CD

    By Jeanell Carrigan

    Regular price $25.00 Sale

    Jeanell Carrigan (piano)

    Piano music by Australian Women
    Iris de Cairos-Rego, Kitty Parker, Una Bourne, Marjorie Hesse

    The painting on the front cover is a work called “Daydream” which was painted in 1895 by Australian artist Jane Sutherland. Jane Sutherland (1853-1928) was part of the Heidelberg school.

    Jane Sutherland was also the aunt of Margaret Sutherland who has rightly earned the title “The Matriarch” of Australian composition. It is therefore completely appropriate that the artistry of this wonderful Australian woman painter should grace the recording which highlights the wonderful musical artistry of these four Australian women composers of piano music. Iris de Cairos-Rego, Una Bourne, Kitty Parker and Marjorie Hesse all had a great deal in common. Firstly, they were all born in Australia between 1880 and 1911. Iris de Cairos-Rego was born in Sydney in 1894, Una Bourne in Mudgee in 1882, Kitty Parker in 1886 in Parknook, Cressy, Tasmania and Marjorie Hesse in Brisbane in 1911.

    All four women were dubbed as child prodigies due to their prodigious musical talent showing itself very early in life. As well as these factors all the women trained initially as pianists and later worked as teachers to earn the bulk of their living, passing on their incredible musicality and skills to many up and coming musicians. Iris de Cairos-Rego taught for many years at Frensham school in Mittagong, from 1935 until 1951, remaining as part of the school community until her death in 1987. Marjorie Hesse was a long-term member of the piano staff at the NSW Conservatorium of Music. Una Bourne was associated with the University of Melbourne, even providing a scholarship for women pianists and Kitty Parker had many private students.

    The Loud Mouth - Music Trust Review

    Wirr 106

    Download samples 

    [1]   Nocturne (1925) Kitty Parker
    [2]  Happy Morning (c.1941) Iris de Cairos-Rego
    [3]   All Suddenly the Wind Comes Soft (1932) Marjorie Hesse
    [4]   Graneen Vale (1944) Iris de Cairos-Rego  
    [5]   Petite Valse-Caprice Una Bourne
       Four Musical Sketches (1928) Kitty Parker
    [6]    A Patchwork of Shadows 
    [7]    Down Longford Way 
    [8]    One Summer’s Day
    [9]    Red Admiral  
    [10]  Albatross (1933) Iris de Cairos-Rego  
    [11]  Papillons Una Bourne          
    [12]  Romance (1947) Marjorie Hesse
    [13]  Two Impressions no. 1 (c.1927) Una Bourne
    [14]  Two Impressions no. 2  (c.1927) Una Bourne 
    [15]  La Pastourelle (c.1961) Marjorie Hesse
    [16]  English June (1941) Iris de Cairos-Rego 
    [17]  Firelight (1933) Iris de Cairos-Rego
    [18]  Humoresque (c.1927) Una Bourne 
    [19]  Waltz in E (1933) Iris de Cairos-Rego
    [20]  Nocturne (c.1926) Una Bourne
    [21]  Twilight (1937) Marjorie Hesse  
    [22]  Reverie (1957) Iris de Cairos-Rego

    Sheet music and samples are available for all these works visit:

    Iris de Carios-Rego
    Kitty Parker
    Una Bourne
    Marjorie Hesse