AN HONOUR WELL-DESERVED

from Trinity News Magazine – Winter Edition 2021

REUNIONS

DR ROBERT BRAHAM, BMusEd (Hons), BA, PhD (Music) RECIPIENT OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA MEDAL (OAM) FOR SERVICE TO CHORAL MUSIC

Dr Braham undertakes everything with a ‘focus on perfection’.

It is with great pleasure that the Trinity College community sincerely congratulates Dr Robert Braham who was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for service to Choral Music in the Australia Day 2021 Honours List. It is an honour, well deserved, for a man who gives so much of himself. As Director of Performing Arts at Trinity College, Artistic Director of Voyces or as a conducting tutor, Dr Braham undertakes everything with a ‘focus on perfection’.

The following words from Trinity College Principal, Mr Darren O’Neill, speak for all of us: We applaud Dr Robert Braham who is an outstanding musician and teacher. As Director of Performing Arts at Trinity College, he is held in high esteem by all. His dedication and passion for Music and The Arts, and his reputation for excellence, has guided Trinity College Arts to unprecedented levels of excellence. In particular, the College Music Program is the envy of many and is widely regarded locally, nationally and internationally as outstanding. Dr Braham has been the driver and creator of this success and in extending our congratulations to him on receipt of this special award, we also offer our thanks for his generous service to our College community. Music has always been the focus of Robert Braham’s life. He has degrees in Music Education BMusEd (Hons), BA, and a PhD in Music through the University of Western Australia. He is an accomplished French horn player and was a member of the Western Australian Arts Orchestra for over eight years. It was during these years that his interest in music theatre and chorale music developed. In 1991 Robert accepted the position of Musical Director and Conductor of the Perth Oratorio Choir (POC), an established choir of over 120 singers. During his 14 years with the choir, he conducted an extensive range of major choral works with orchestra. He also initiated opportunities for young and emerging soloists and musicians to perform with choirs and orchestras, some of whom have gone on to achieve national and international acclaim. With the experience of working with young voices, Robert was appointed the founding conductor of the West Australian Youth Chorale (WAYC). In 2006 the WAYC won the state final of the ABC FM Sing Out competition and represented Western Australia in the national final. In 2011, following his involvement with the youth chorale, an ensemble of young singers, Voyces, was established with Robert as Artistic Director and Old Boy, Luke Donohoe (‘99) as Managing Director. Voyces has a passion for creating and sharing the highest quality choral music and their concerts have wide ranging and varied programs. Luke describes how working with Voyces – now part of The Choral Collective – and working with Robert is an invaluable opportunity: Rob is an inspiring musician that has true love for choral music. He is an exceptionally gifted musician who is exceptional at interpreting music and critically communicating that interpretation to the singers. Rob's passion for what he does rubs off on others; you only need to sit with him for a matter of minutes and you'll be on board. This passion comes through in his role as Artistic Director of The Choral Collective. From 2016 to 2020, Robert took up a role as Conducting Tutor with Australian Choral Conductors Education and Training Inc which ran annual summer courses. Over the years, he has also worked with other major Perth choirs, the University of Western Australia Choral Society (UWACS), West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO) chorus and The Giovanni Consort. He has also been invited to conduct the Vancouver Chamber Choir as part of their annual conductor’s symposium. Robert has dedicated himself to The Arts in Western Australia. He creates opportunities for young artists and continues to promote Australian choral music through commissioned works and the performance of Australian compositions. This he does while employed full-time in his busy and demanding position as Director of Trinity College Performing Arts.

Dr Braham and the Trinity College Senior Chorale – Quarry Concert 2021

The success of Trinity College Music is testimony to Dr Robert Braham’s expertise and commitment as well as his foresight to explore future opportunities in music education. Robert began his career at Trinity under the guidance of two outstanding music teachers: Vincent Basile and Gerald Crooks. He quickly won their respect and in a recent letter they recalled that time: Robert was enthusiastic, highly competent and really a breath of fresh air. His musical expertise, his competence in music pedagogy, his rapport with the students and, indeed, the staff, and his commitment to the ethos of the College were aspects that endeared him to all. He was a privilege to work with. In 1988 Robert was appointed Head of Music at Trinity. Under his leadership the quality of music education at the College further developed. With a culture of singing, be it at Speech Night or as part of the College’s theatrical productions, and with his special skills in choral work, one of Robert’s first initiatives was to establish the Trinity College Senior Chorale, a chorale that has continued to represent the College with performances of the highest standards. In 1990, following a successful Trinity theatrical production which included girls from Presbyterian Ladies’ College (PLC), Robert Braham and PLC Choir Director, Mary-Beth Williamson, formed an alliance of the two choirs which was a partnership that continued for nearly twenty years. The opportunities for the Trinity and PLC Choir to perform on the world stage, sing in magnificent cathedrals and historic concert halls were initiatives Robert incorporated into the music program and which continue today. In 2001, on their first tour to Sydney, where the ensemble won gold, the accolade of being described as the most outstanding secondary choir to attend the festival in its twelve-year history is attributed to the high standards of both Robert Braham and Mary-Beth Williamson. Trinity and PLC went on to tour and perform together at festivals in England and Wales followed by Beijing and Hong Kong. Trinity also enjoys a strong musical partnership with Mercedes College. In 2013, Trinity and Mercedes toured to the World Strides Heritage Music Festival in New York where they achieved the Outstanding Award and the Adjudicators’ Award. They have since toured Ireland and the UK and in 2019 travelled to Europe for the Summa Cum Laude Festival where Robert’s expertise as Chorale Director was highlighted when the Trinity College Senior Chorale was awarded first place with ‘Excellent’ success in the category ‘Male Choir’. In 1990, the Catholic Schools’ Performing Arts Festival was inaugurated, with Robert a founding committee member. The festival commenced with over 5,000 students. Trinity music was the recipient of the inaugural trophy for outstanding contribution at the festival. In 2019, at the last festival, Trinity’s overall high performance standards resulted in the College being awarded, for the sixteenth consecutive year, the Zenith Shield for the most outstanding school at the festival.

Again, we sincerely congratulate Dr Robert Braham on all he has achieved as Director of Performing Arts at Trinity College. However, his achievements and success extend beyond the honours and accolades his students receive. His success is also in the 460 students who, each year, choose to be members of the Performing Arts, be it in one of the seven choirs, the thirty instrumental ensembles, or in the one of the dance or drama groups. To be in the audience at a Trinity concert and watch a hundred students proceed on to the stage and to be totally focused on Dr Braham and their singing, is something rarely witnessed at an all-boys College. All this is the true measure of Dr Robert Braham’s success and, as he humbly states, “it is important for young men to have the arts in their life.”

Mrs Robyn Jennison Trinity College Archives