Vocal Pedagogy

An  anthology of 21 newly commissioned Australian art songs by eight composers for low voices, composed to address the paucity of repertoire especially for alto, contralto and bass.  

Volume One comprises 10 songs - three songs and one song cycle - for mezzo- soprano, low mezzo-soprano and mezzo-contralto, composed by Houston Dunleavy, Clare Maclean, May Howlett and Larry Sitsky, with works edited and with pedagogical material for the singer and singing teacher by Cathy Aggett.  
Volume Two contains songs written for the contralto and bass by composers John Wayne Dixon, Paul Paviour, Diana Blom and Gordon Kerry.  
Composer dates 2012/2013

Review copies of songs available upon request: keats@wirripang.com.au

View samples below or $10.00 for individual digital download of each song.

To the person who left a note on my windshield (Dunleavy) - sheet music c.5:40

At the Triton's Call (Howlett) - sheet music c.6:35

Distance (Maclean)  - sheet music c.3:50

A Feast of Lanterns  (Sitsky) I  'Bitter Cold' - sheet music c.1:20 II 'The Ghost Road' - sheet music c.2:30 III 'Autumn Thoughts' - sheet music c.1:40 IV 'Along the Stream' - sheet music c.1:40 V 'Freezing' - sheet music c.1:40 VI 'Feast of Lanterns' - sheet music c.1:00 VII 'Song of the Night' - sheet music c.1:50

 ISMN 9790720133973 
$40.00 for digital download of complete anthology: 

An anthology of 21 newly commissioned Australian art songs for low voices, composed to address the paucity of repertoire especially for alto, contralto and bass. 

Volume Two contains songs written for the contralto and bass by composers John Wayne Dixon, Paul Paviour, Diana Blom and Gordon Kerry, with works edited and with pedagogical material for the singer and singing teacher by Cathy Aggett.  
Volume One comprises 10 songs - three songs and one song cycle - for mezzo- soprano, low mezzo-soprano and mezzo-contralto, composed by Houston Dunleavy, Clare Maclean, May Howlett and Larry Sitsky.

Composer dates 2012/2013

Review copies of songs available upon request: keats@wirripang.com.au

View samples below or $10.00 for individual digital download of each song.

'Spaces' (Dixon) - sheet music c.3:30

Songs of Love (Paviour) 1. 'We loved long and happily' - sheet music c.2:15 2. 'That love of ours' - sheet music c.1"30 3. 'Times past' - sheet music  c.2:20

'The Ground on Being' (Dixon) - sheet music c.6:00

Dance Set (Blom) 1. 'Latin Lover' - sheet music c.1:50 2. 'Slowfox' - sheet music c.2:15 3. 'Tango' - sheet musicc.1:20

'Cobweb farm' (Blom) - sheet music c.1:20

'Migratory' (Kerry)- sheet music c.5:10

ISMN 9790720133997

$40.00 for instant PDF download: 

18 Songs as listed on the Trinity College Singing Syllabus from 2005 to 2010.

1 Lullaby (Stove), c.3'34
2 An Angry Cactus Does No Good (Yates), c.1'50
3 The Trouble with Geraniums (Yates), c.1'44
4 Dreams at Eventide (Keats), c.2'49
5 My Dark-eyed Acushla (Keats), c.3'22
6 I Will Build my House in the Water (Keats), c.1'39
7 The Lamb (Keats), c.3'48
8 Love's Secret (Keats), c.2'12
9 Plucking the Rushes (Keats), c.2'35
10 Love Song (Stove), c.2'26
11 Epigram I (Yates), c.2'41
12 Epigram II (Yates), c.1'38
13 Epigram III (Yates), c.1'38
14 Epigram IV (Yates), c.2'49
15 Nature's Changes (Dixon), c.2'32
16 Columbine (Keats), c.2'04
17 Sea Wraith (Keats), c.3'10
18 Evening (Dixon), c.3'02

For more details on these songs, including audio samples see individually listed songs or "Songs From Australia" on this website.

ISMN M720065380

$50.00 for PDF instant download: 

By David Miller, Wendy Dixon, Cathy Aggett, Linda Foulsham.
Songs from Australia has been written as a resource for performers, teachers and students to assist in the development of individual interpretation and performance skills.  Pedagogical, musical and performance ideas are discussed for 27 Australian songs.  Each entry includes information on the following: textual analysis, performance and vocal techniques, musical concepts, piano accompaniment, phonetics, range and tessitura, pronunciation guide for diction, composition details, composer biography and available recordings and details teaching outcomes.  A CD of MIDI accompaniment for each song is included.  A glossary provides musical definitions and general explanations.  Songs from Australia approaches each song as an entity.  The interpretative and technical information provided for each song is offered to assist the teacher and student to build a successful performance.  

The Songs from Australia authors believe that a singer cannot perform a song without a thorough understanding of the original poem; this philosophy has been their impetus.  For this reason, the book provides the Textual Analysis before exploring how the composer has set the text.  (The poems have been presented and vocabulary assistance has been included where deemed (necessary).
Performance Techniques have been included to encourage individual interpretation.  They consider vocal technique, diction, phonetics, style, textual and musical information, pedagogy and exercises.  The exercises provided are specific to the song; however, most have a wider application and will be of assistance in different song settings.  (The Appendix lists such alternative uses.)  The section, Musical Concepts, discusses melody, harmony, tonality, duration and form, (tempo has been considered in the body of the text when it has a direct impact on interpretation).  

Songs from Australia is in no way the definitive text; it is anticipated that it will be used as a spring-board for further interpretation and analysis.  In their own way, each of the four co-authors have been researching Australian songs; the Trinity College London Singing Syllabus for 2005  was the catalyst for this collaboration. 
The selection and grading of songs follows the new Australian component of the 2005 and 2009 Trinity Syllabus.  AMEB grading is indicated where appropriate.  The Trinity Syllabus Australian selection is comprised mainly of art songs.   The art song is characterized by the close relationship of text and music; a song exists because the composer has an emotional reaction to a text.  In Songs from Australia, Horace Keats chose the exquisite words of the poet Blake; Carl Vine was inspired by Elizabeth Barrett Browning; Ester Rofe could not disregard the tragic plea of the contemporary Australian poet, Tom Rothfield, and in stark contrast, Mervyn Peake’s witty observations of humanity captivated Stephen Yates.  The folk songs, such as Moreton Bay and Waltzing Matilda, evolved from the story-telling tradition and are in a genre of their own. 

This is the first time that a book and accompanying MIDI file of this nature has been published on Australian songs.  Studio singing teachers, school music teachers, performers and anyone interested in Australian song will appreciate this new concept. Each of the 27 songs  has been recorded on CD by soprano Wendy Dixon and pianist David Miller and is also titled Songs from Australia and is available online.

A computer generated accompaniment CD included for all songs.

Listening and sheet music samples

• Monkey and Turtle and sheet music(Trad./Leek)
• Love Me Sweet and sheet music (Vine) 
• Come Sleep and sheet music (Glanville-Hicks)
• Morton Bay and sheet music(Trad./O'Leary)
• Dinah’s Song and sheet music (Rofe)
• Bless This House and sheet music (Brahe)
• Waltzing Matilda and sheet music (Cowan/O’Leary)
• Lullaby and sheet music (Stove)
• An Angry Cactus Does No Good and sheet music (Yates)
• The Trouble with Geraniums and sheet music (Yates)
• Dreams at Eventide and sheet music (Keats)
• My Dark-eyed Acushla and  sheet music (Keats)
• O Yellow, Yellow Sweet and sheet music(Tregaskis)
• I Will Build my House in the Water and  sheet music (Keats)
• The Lamb and sheet music (Keats)
• Love’s Secret and  sheet music (Keats)
• Plucking the Rushes and sheet music (Keats)
• Love Song and sheet music (Stove)
• Epigram I, and sheet music (Yates)
• Epigram II, and sheet music
• Epigram III, and sheet music
• Epigram IV and sheet music (Yates)
• Nature’s Changes and sheet music (Dixon)
• Columbine and sheet music (Keats)
• Sea Wraith and sheet music (Keats)
• The Stars Turn and sheet music (Sculthorpe)
• Evening and  sheet music (Dixon)

Many of these works are available separately, see titles in catalogue.

ISMN M720041988  ISBN 1876829095

$80.00 PDF instant download (262 pages):

$1.00 Computer generated backing tracks mp3 download -
        tracks 1 - 17: 
$1.00 Computer generated backing tracks mp3 download -
        tracks 18 - 27:

Medium to High voice and piano.  

Songs by 12 Australian composers demonstrates the unique relationship between poet, composer, singer and pianist in the genre of art song.

Voice of Australia is an expression of art song and the unique relationship between poet, composer, singer and pianist which this genre exemplifies. A composer’s choice of text is neither arbitrary nor insignificant. It is the text that inspires the composer to translate words into music. The responsibility of performers is to discover the composer's intention and to share this with the audience. 

Voice of Australia aims to provide an understanding of the fine balance between text, keyboard accompaniment and voice for each song. Singers have the advantage of using text as an expressive tool, but this advantage can only be fully realised by a shared understanding with the pianist. Performance of a well crafted art song demands textual understanding by both performers, as well as an appreciation of the intricacies of each others’ music. 
To assist performers and teachers the authors have proposed Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced levels to equate with standard examination grades from 1st to 4th, 5th to 8th, and Associate level and above. 
Composers chosen for this book epitomise the quintessential Australian voice. The Australian voice embodies many cultures and has been shaped by many influences. The various voices within our multi-cultural society have found expression in a wide range of musical styles. The authors have attempted to encompass this diversity in our book. 

Backing tracks and vocal CD is included (performed by Wendy Dixon soprano, Tim Collins baritone, David Miller piano).

Also available in Medium to Low voice

Download music samples

• Voice of Australia - sheet music

Audio samples

• First Person Feminine - iii (c.1'20) (Cooper)
• First Person Feminine - iv  (c.1'15) (Cooper)
• Strange Requiem  (c.2'45) (Sutherland)
• Titania's Lullaby (c.3'05) (Dixon)
• Auguries of Innocence (c.2'25) (Peterson)
• I am Black (c.1'35) (Schultz)
• Frogs 1 (c.1.00, 1.00, 0.40) (Butterley)
• Frogs 2
• Frogs 3
• Quel rosignuol (c.3'45) (Brumby)
• Each thoughtless day (c.2'15) (Pearce)
• where the wind sighs (c.2'00) (Pearce)
• Night After Bushfire (c.2'05) (Kerry)
• Balloon Ride  (c.2'50) (Greenbaum)
• Asmaradana (c.3'20) (Beath)
• Turning Fifty (c.4'20) (Paviour)

Many of these works are available separately, see titles in catalogue.

ISMN M720041988, ISBN 9781876829117 

 $55.00 PDF instant download:

Medium to Low voice and piano.  

See listing above Voice of Australia - Medium to High for details.
Backing tracks and vocal CD is included.

Download music samples

• Voice of Australia - sheet music

Audio samples

• First Person Feminine - iii (Cooper)
• First Person Feminine - iv
• Strange Requiem (Sutherland)
• Titania's Lullaby (Dixon)
• Auguries of Innocence (Peterson)
• I am Black (Schultz)
• Frogs 1 (Butterley)
• Frogs 2
• Frogs 3
• Quel rosignuol (Brumby)
• Each thoughtless day (Pearce)
• where the wind sighs (Pearce)
• Night After Bushfire (Kerry)
• Balloon Ride (Greenbaum)
• Asmaradana (Beath)
• Turning Fifty (Paviour)

Many of these works are  available separately, see titles in catalogue.

ISMN720072302, ISBN 9781876829133 

$55.00 PDF instant download:

High voice and piano.  
Songs by 13 Australian composers. 

Demonstrating the unique relationship between poet, composer, singer and pianist in the genre of art song
"Ideally, contemporary Australian Art Song speaks to Australians in a language with which they can readily identify.  As surely as the creative spirit inspires our poets and composers, an essence of their lives enters into our artistic lexicon and by this we are all enriched.  In this resource songs we are sharing with you that have enriched our lives through their music and their poetry.
After the considerable success of Voice of Australia Volume 1,we were emboldened to continue the adventure with a second volume.  Once again we offer aids to teachers, singers and pianists in the hope that this will encourage you all to include these songs as part of your repertoire.  We hope this spirit of exploration will serve as an inspiration for you to also investigate the huge wealth of Australian Art Song still to be discovered.
Our choices of songs for this book are highly idiosyncratic of course.  However our guiding criterion was that all the composers represented had written or are in the process of writing a sizeable output for voice and piano.
We have also attempted to represent a variety of tonal and melodic styles with a range of fast and slow songs.  Where possible we have chosen songs with texts by Australian composers, wanting to share aspects of readily recognizable Australian life and thought." Wendy Dixon and David Miller
Some exercises are included based on material found in the songs.
The accompanying CD includes performances of all the songs and rehearsal versions.
Composed between: 1998 and 2014

Download samples

• The Downfall (Gwen Harwood) James Penberthy, audio 1:10
• To say before going to sleep  (Rainer Maria Rilke) Stephen Yates, audio 3:09
• She wore a black ribbon (PeterWesley-Smith)
  Martin Wesley-Smith, audio 3:50
• The bird sings (Aub Podlich) Rhonda Berry, audio 1:17
• Golden Boy (Pat McCahey) Stephen Cronin, audio 3:43
• A Summer's Day (Emily Dickinson) Gerald Glynn, audio 4:13
• Burn out my eyes (Rainer Maria Rilke) Quentin Grant, audio 2:40
• Coolness (Issa)  David Keeffe, audio 1:39
• Of a noble race she came  (Christina Rossetti) Roger Smalley, audio 3:18
• Bush Christmas (David Martin) Wendy Hiscocks, audio 3:29
• Listening to the Harp (Li-Bai) Larry Sitsky, audio 2:37
• The Moon Has Set (Sappho) Kevin March, audio 2:45
• To A Child (Judith Wright) Ross Edwards, audio 3:33

ISMN 9790720146300

$55.00 for instant PDF download: