Wirripang - from the beginnning
By Brennan Keats
Regular price
$25.00
The dedications below encapsulate the contents of this book about the origins and formation of the publishing house Wirripang that can now claim to be the largest publisher of Australian sheet music in the world.
To my darling wife Anne (Annie), the driving force behind the not inconsiderable achievements of Wirripang.
To Wirripang, born of blood, tears and sweat; you rise, soar and glide on the rich winds of dedication, passion and love of all things cultural, high in a rarified atmosphere above an abused, tired and war-torn planet.
Both Anne and Brennan Keats were raised with a strong sense of the value of Australian culture. Anne, the product of country parents who later embraced the richness of city living yet retained a strong sense of country values, that included a great pride of Australia and all things Australian.
Brennan whose parents were both professional musicians had instilled in him from an early age the value of music from a deeply cultural viewpoint, yet at the same time it was made clear to him that music would not be his profession.
Both parents left their respective children a legacy; in the case of Anne a strong work ethic and as stated love of country; in the case of Brennan a considerable collection of music, some being unpublished because the publishers of the day looked not to its cultural value but rather to the money it would generate them.
Over the years both offspring, albeit unconsciously, gradually worked to combining their respective legacies to form an enterprise that would publish music of cultural value with a view to bringing it before a discerning public, as well as ensuring that it would not be lost to future generations. This is their story. There were tears spilt by them; there were many late nights and early mornings; there were ghosts; there are examples of dedication to their art by some who have become the strongest of friends and remain with Wirripang to the present day, and above all and in us all a passion for Australian culture.
ISBN 9781876829568