ART & CULTURE: Dr Calvin Bowman's Trinity experience

Calvin Bowman (TC 1990) is the Director of Music at St Andrew’s, Brighton, in Victoria. He lived at Trinity College from 1990 to 1992 and initially sang tenor in the Choir of Trinity College, before being appointed as the inaugural N Bruce Munro Organ Scholar. Calvin’s career highlights include graduating with an Ivy League doctorate in 2005 with the assistance of a Fulbright scholarship, and being exclusively signed to Decca and Universal Music Australia as both composer and performer.

--------------------------------------------------

“I’m quite sure that my musical inclinations come from the German line on my mother’s side, hence my fondness for Bach. My parents were always very supportive of my musical studies and made sure that I had every opportunity to flourish.

It was Trinity College that kickstarted my church music career, and, for this, I’ll always be grateful. When I look back, the experience provided the foundation for everything else I’ve since become as a musician – pianist, accompanist, ensemble member, and, perhaps most importantly in my case, composer.

I owe a lot to former Trinity Music Director Peter Godfrey. He was the loveliest man and introduced me to repertoire I could only have dreamt about. He also let me present some of my fledgling compositions at the annual carol services, which we all worked hard at to ensure we performed to the best of our ability.

Overall, the impact of being a part of the Choir of Trinity College is considerable. More than 30 years down the track, I still hear choir members of my vintage speaking fondly about the experience. In other words – it’s something that travels with us long after we’ve left."