By Michael Kempson, Head of Printmaking and Director of Cicada Press, College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales In February this year Gregory O’Brien visited Cicada Press at the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales in Sydney to work on a project for the Maxwell Fernie Trust. I had made Read more
Wellington’s musical landscape was transformed when Maxwell Fernie returned in 1959. After five years as organist at central London’s Roman Catholic Westminster Cathedral, he had been longing to get home. Max was director of music at St Mary of the Angels in Boulcott St for 41 years and organist for nearly as long; during this Read more
In 1978, Russell Bond wrote, “Maxwell Fernie as a good man of the church should not need reminding of the biblical admonition about hiding lights under bushels. His light – his thorough appreciation of polyphonic choral music and his outstanding ability to impart this to a choir should be allowed to fall on us more Read more
A review of the CD remastering of Victoria’s Tenebrae Responsories sung by Schola Polyphonic under Maxwell Fernie by Lindis Taylor Maxwell Fernie’s Schola Polyphonica was for twenty-one years probably the finest choir in New Zealand specializing in the music of the Renaissance. Established in 1967 at the instigation of a group of enthusiasts, it became, Read more
It was on a fine afternoon early in 1959,1 remember, that I stood on the pavement outside the church of St Mary of the Angels, in Boulcott Street, Wellington, waiting for my new organ teacher of just a few weeks, Maxwell Fernie. I had dressed for the occasion, in my school suit and red tie, Read more
April 25th saw the successful staging of the 100 year tribute Concert for Maxwell Fernie at St. Mary of the Angels Church in Wellington, culminating in the presentation of the inaugural Maxwell Fernie Trust Scholarship to a very-deserving Thomas Gaynor. The capacity audience was treated to a wide range of musical tributes, compèred by James Read more
18 year old Thomas Gaynor, winner of the 2009 ORGANZ Organ Performance Award from the 2009 Congress, achieved another major triumph as the recipient of the inaugural Maxwell Fernie Centenary Award. The presentation of the award was made by the Minister for the Arts, Hon. Chris Finlayson, himself a friend of Maxwell Fernie, at St Read more
Easter Monday, 1999, was one of those gloriously fine days that Wellington turns on to great effect. Behind Maxwell Fernie in his wheel chair, a brilliant Wellington harbour provided a sparkling backdrop to our conversation, Despite the debilitating effects of his stroke, Max remained vibrant with music, Our conversation had not long begun before Read more
Peter Kitchin. The Dominion, 27 May 1999 St Mary’s renowned director of music Arnott Maxwell Fernie, organist: B Wellington, April 25, 1910; m (1) Meriel Hunn (diss) 1d, (2) Grete De Brabander 1d 3s; ed Marist Bros PS(Newtown), Wgtn Clg, Royal Acad Music (Lond); mil serv NZEF; chr mstr St Joseph’s (Wgtn), Aeolian Choir, Rosary Read more
Some ideas and innovations by Maxwell Fernie, from an article by Ros Johnston. Polyphonic music of the sixteenth century has not been served well by the nineteenth century tendency to standardise the layout of the musical page, leading for instance to the universal use of modern bar-lines and notation in editions of the music of such composers Read more
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