Stephen Brockman
Stephen Brockman directed the choir from 2008 until his passing in May 2020. However, the choir did not perform in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Stephen came from an accomplished musical family and first studied flute at the Melbourne University Conservatorium of Music before starting an engineering career in Geelong. He later switched to music, his great love, and became a successful orchestral musician and conductor, both in Australia and overseas. In 1974 Stephen moved to Sydney where he played with the NSW Police Military Band and then with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. In 1979 he was appointed Principal Flute with the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO). He appeared as soloist with the QPO and the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra. In the 1990s he was Musical Director of the Hong Kong Singers, conducting operettas and musicals. He also played Principal Flute in the HK Chamber Orchestra and was a member of the Lugard Wind Quintet.
Under Stephen Brockman the Gisborne Singers grew in quality and size, and continued to perform more works than ever before. In particular, it began a decade-long trajectory of performing large-scale classical repertoire in the Macedon ranges, complete with professional orchestras and soloists. The soloists were often young musicians, beginning their professional careers and just as they enhanced the choir's performances, these performances, in turn, provided them with invaluable career experience. Repertoire that Stephen directed with the Gisborne Singers included Faure's Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s The Creation, Bruckner’s Te Deum, Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Jenkin's The Armed Man, Rutter's Mass of the Children, and Brahms’ Requiem (which Stephen had planned to reprise in 2020).
On two occasions, and because of the high quality of Gisborne Singers' performances, members of the choir were invited to sing at Carnegie Hall, New York. The first was in 2017 for the North American premiere of Sir Karl Jenkins’ Cantata Memoria and the second in early 2020 (Jenkins’ The Armed Man).
Stephen was ably and lovingly assisted in all things musical by his wife Margaret (also a singing member of the choir) and it was her reduced orchestral score for Jenkins' Cantata Memoria that made it possible for the choir to present the 2018 Australian premiere of this work. In 2015, Stephen received the Macedon Ranges Arts Ambassador Award in the Australia Day Honours List.
Following a serious fall from a bicycle, Stephen tragically passed away on 28th May 2020. This led to an outpouring of grief from The Gisborne Singers and the wider musical community. Tributes flowed in from singers and orchestral musicians who attributed the opportunities presented to them by Stephen as a significant factor in their musical journey to success. Stephen also gave unique opportunities for local children to sing with The Gisborne Singers (Jenkins' Cantata Memoria).
Stephen will be remembered as a man who had incredible talent, not only in music, but in many aspects of life; who knew how to get the best from his singers, had a wonderful sense of humour, who contributed to the choir in every possible way, and who made choir members feel comfortable and welcome. His death came amidst the COVID-19 pandemic which regrettably prevented the choir from being able to perform in tribute at his funeral.
Stephen came from an accomplished musical family and first studied flute at the Melbourne University Conservatorium of Music before starting an engineering career in Geelong. He later switched to music, his great love, and became a successful orchestral musician and conductor, both in Australia and overseas. In 1974 Stephen moved to Sydney where he played with the NSW Police Military Band and then with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. In 1979 he was appointed Principal Flute with the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra (QPO). He appeared as soloist with the QPO and the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra. In the 1990s he was Musical Director of the Hong Kong Singers, conducting operettas and musicals. He also played Principal Flute in the HK Chamber Orchestra and was a member of the Lugard Wind Quintet.
Under Stephen Brockman the Gisborne Singers grew in quality and size, and continued to perform more works than ever before. In particular, it began a decade-long trajectory of performing large-scale classical repertoire in the Macedon ranges, complete with professional orchestras and soloists. The soloists were often young musicians, beginning their professional careers and just as they enhanced the choir's performances, these performances, in turn, provided them with invaluable career experience. Repertoire that Stephen directed with the Gisborne Singers included Faure's Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s The Creation, Bruckner’s Te Deum, Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Jenkin's The Armed Man, Rutter's Mass of the Children, and Brahms’ Requiem (which Stephen had planned to reprise in 2020).
On two occasions, and because of the high quality of Gisborne Singers' performances, members of the choir were invited to sing at Carnegie Hall, New York. The first was in 2017 for the North American premiere of Sir Karl Jenkins’ Cantata Memoria and the second in early 2020 (Jenkins’ The Armed Man).
Stephen was ably and lovingly assisted in all things musical by his wife Margaret (also a singing member of the choir) and it was her reduced orchestral score for Jenkins' Cantata Memoria that made it possible for the choir to present the 2018 Australian premiere of this work. In 2015, Stephen received the Macedon Ranges Arts Ambassador Award in the Australia Day Honours List.
Following a serious fall from a bicycle, Stephen tragically passed away on 28th May 2020. This led to an outpouring of grief from The Gisborne Singers and the wider musical community. Tributes flowed in from singers and orchestral musicians who attributed the opportunities presented to them by Stephen as a significant factor in their musical journey to success. Stephen also gave unique opportunities for local children to sing with The Gisborne Singers (Jenkins' Cantata Memoria).
Stephen will be remembered as a man who had incredible talent, not only in music, but in many aspects of life; who knew how to get the best from his singers, had a wonderful sense of humour, who contributed to the choir in every possible way, and who made choir members feel comfortable and welcome. His death came amidst the COVID-19 pandemic which regrettably prevented the choir from being able to perform in tribute at his funeral.
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