Mrs Bronwyn Brown receives OAM
Long serving Radford College staff member Mrs Bronwyn Brown was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia on Australia Day this year “For service to the community through music.” Mrs Brown has worked in several different roles during her time at the College, including several periods serving as Director of Keyboards, and currently accompanies two of our choirs, and Chapel Services. We congratulate Mrs Brown on receiving this deserved recognition for her work.
How long have you been at Radford College and what attracted you here?
My husband and I moved to Canberra from Brisbane at the beginning of 2006, intending to retire from full-time classroom teaching. Since Radford was close to our home and Dr Mulford, the then Principal, was a previous colleague of my husband, we arranged an interview to discuss being considered for relief and short-term contracts. I worked part-time in the mathematics department during 2006, but when I decided not to continue in this role, Dr Mulford suggested my husband and I job-share the Music Administrator position. Since then, my time at Radford has been with the music department.
What is the role of an accompanist? What are the biggest challenges, and what do you enjoy the most?
The role has many iterations, from helping individual singers and instrumentalists prepare for exams, eisteddfods and recitals and then joining them in their performances, to regular rehearsals with a choir or the chorus of a musical society under a conductor.
The performances might be on a large grand piano in a major venue or a small keyboard at a public event such as Floriade. The challenges range from learning the particular style of a conductor, checking there are good sight lines and lighting in a performance venue, learning new music rapidly or indeed playing it at sight, nervous performers or correcting music reading errors.
The variety is the most enjoyable part, as well as the satisfaction of hearing a performer you have assisted give their best performance. The most exciting work is when playing for large choral groups or as part of an orchestra.
Do you play piano for anything outside of Radford College?
I play for several other Canberra schools, for their class music recitals and special services. I accompany singers for Art Song concerts and am an accompanist for the annual String Festival and the National Singing Eisteddfod.
I also play the organ for services at several Canberra churches. This involves not only accompanying the choir but also the special kind of accompaniment which is when leading congregational singing.
What do you love most about music?
Music is always with me. Playing it has given me a life of interest and variety. It has the ability to calm, arouse, move and challenge. It has no borders.