by Edward Anthony (Tony) Clarke
October-November 2008
It has been suggested that since so much of his life has been associated with choirs, a summary would not go amiss. It has to be said that in an unremarkable life his one success is that he has always been welcomed in any choir from the Australian country through a variety of social and church choirs to the Sydney Philharmonia under world class conductors. There were also a number of staged musicals by the Bundaberg Players in which he had solo parts. At one point he was asked to take over as conductor of a Male Choir which was quite an accomplishment.
So where did it begin? It is already recorded that he talked himself into St. Jude’s choir at around 7 yrs (so 1926). It consisted of 22 boys and 16 men with the Organist and Choirmaster, "Merryfield" a Headmaster of a local school. Discipline was thorough. Choir practice for the boys was Mon/Tues/Thurs and Fridays with 3 Services on Sundays. These were according to the almost now defunct King James Prayer Book with Matins and Evensong and a Children’s afternoon service.
The quality was equivalent to most Cathedral choirs of today, with the alto, tenor and bass sections having only an 8 to 9 Friday rehearsal but as experienced sight readers new works were no problem. This constituted almost his sole musical training apart from the various conductors along the way.
He also sang in the St Cuthbert's church choir. But he missed out on the school choir, because he was nervous when he auditioned, and his voice came out as a squeak.
By the late 1930s he had successfully auditioned for the high-quality Portsmouth Choral Union, run in the 1930s and 1940s by Bertram (Bertie) Bradshaw, who was the French Master at Portsmouth Grammar (where he attended briefly before going out to work at 15).
Details further detauls of Pre/Australia choral activity is already in Tony’s Story.
During the war, after brief encounters with France, the North Atlantic, Greece and Crete, there was a stay of two sessions of months in Alexandria, Egypt, and he was able to be in St. Mark’s choir. It was of course a mix up of members, almost all servicemen and available when duty permitted. Being from various choirs in England and the customary services being used it caused little trouble to the organist, "Wilkinson", and in fact Stainer’s Crucifixion was performed.
He rejoined the Portsmouth Choral Union after he was demob'd in mid-1946. In late 1946 he offered to belatedly pay them for the sheet-music of Verdi's Requeim that he'd received in 1939 just before enlisting. They said not to bother.
St. Jude’s had changed with most of the boys gone, female sops. and altos and fewer men. He and Rene met there in late 1946. (His elder brother Fred had met May about 10 years earlier in the St Jude's bible study class).
In Australa, first stop Kingaroy, Queensland where a choir was formed under Jim. Christiansen (then only 20, James later made a name on the national stage as a baritone). They didn’t profess to be world beaters but enjoyed the work and put on concerts. (it expanded some years later under brother Fred, and Tony took the solo part of "Crucifixion"with Herb Grother, tenor with the Bundaberg Players). There were also the C.of E. choir and the Lutheran Church choir to make up the 3 years there.
Next to Bundaberg, Q’land and assistance to the C.of E. choir and the Methodist church choir plus a mixed choir, under Mrs. Kendall, Messiah of course. Bundaberg Methodist choir under Cyril Wells was a pleasure. With fellow basses Tom Price and John Killer, he shared in the solos in the variety of work undertaken.
When the B’berg Male Philharmonic was formed c. 1962, he conducted for a number of years before joining the ranks. With soloists brought up from Brisbane and Sydney the concerts were always a sell out. A joint undertaking with male choirs in Gympie and Maryborough with just over 100 men on stage and performed at all three cities was also a great success.
He also joined the B’berg Players for straight plays and an annual musical. Since being in the musicals with the B’berg Players was his own choice he made the most of his numbers. His only disappointment was badly cast in "Bitter Sweet", he disagreed with the director of how the part should be played and it was the only negative report he had in the local paper.
Twelve years of satisfying music. With a celebratory year performance of his favourite "Elijah" with all the local musical joining together, he took part in the chorus but also learnt the whole of the baritone solo to assist the accompanists’ rehearsal. The soloists came up from Brisbane for the concert.
With the move to Sydney things become a little complicated because, with Rene, at least six choirs were attended. There were 3 church choirs, most likely being
He had early applied for an audition for the Sydney Philharmonia, was successful and with most concerts with full orchestra and organ and under renowned conductors. He’d reached the top. Until the Opera House opening, concerts were at the Sydney Town Hall.
During a year or so break from the Pilharmonia, (it was hard going getting to weekly practice from Nth. Syd. to the city centre, in heavy traffic and finding parking and daily travel for a week when the concert was on), he switched to the Willoughby Choir and Orchestra which practised and performed in Chatswood much closer to home. Yet once again "Crucifixion" cropped up and not for the last time! This lasted only a year and he rejoined the Philharmonia.
Retirement and a move to Campbelltown. He joined the Camden Anglican Church choir soon after arriving in Campbelltown. He spent 5 years or more (c. 1985-90), but because of the so called service format and general conduct of congregation finally handed in notice.
He joined Macarthur Singers within a month of leaving the Camden Anglican (c. 1990), but not continuousy until Lesley Challender took over (c. 1995). He retired from the choir after Lesley left in 2005, but returned in 2007 when Jillian Bridge took over as conductor, and looked promising. He passed on to her his sheet-music, some CDs and a book on choirmastering that Roger had found at Ely cathedral in 2007.
His last solo part was in Bach piece performed in a concert at St John's Camden in about 2000 (at 81). And his last prominent appearance was, at long last, the baritone part in the famous 'The Pearl Fishers' duet, in a Macarthur Singers Christmas concert in 2005 (at not quite 86). He'd been trying to organise a tenor to do it with him since about 1960, but finally settled for a mezzo called Melanie. With the voice still working at 88, he was able to manage one more concert but standing had become a big problem.
That seems to be about 19 choirs in all, some for extended periods, and several more than once, in some cases separated by long intervals (particularly 1940-46).
Apart from a multitude of small songs the major works would be quite a list. Spread over his lifespan, "Messiah" would average around every three years. The two Bach "Passions", Beethoven’s 9th., Mass, Requiem, "Elijah", concert version of "Aida"and a variety of composers -Mozart, Berlioz, Brahms, Vivaldi, Bruckner, Haydn, Rutter, Faure, etc.
He never considered himself a soloist although he was often asked to do oddments at church. These were usually unsatisfactory uninteresting pieces with which he tried.
In late 2008, fast approaching 89, he still sits through rehearsals with the MacArthur Singers hoping for one more concert, for which he is allowed to sit.
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Contact: Roger Clarke
Created: 7 November 2008; Last Amended: 11 November 2008