Dulcie holland biography
- Dulcie Sybil Holland AM (5 January 1913 – 21 May 2000) was an.
- Born in Sydney in 1913, Dulcie Holland trained at the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, where she studied piano with Frank Hutchens, cello with Gladstone Bell.
- In addition to being a composer Holland was a children's book author, a highly regarded pedagogue and was perhaps most widely known for her.
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A Musical Missionary: The Life and Music of Dulcie Holland
Rita Crews & Jeanell Carrigan
WIRRIPANG
australiancomposers.com.au
In these days of COVID-19 monotony one occasionally gets a surprise to brighten up one’s day. Recently I received a delightful package in my letter box – a newly written biography of Dulcie Holland.
Like many people in Australia (I imagine) my knowledge of Dulcie Holland was entirely related to AMEB. As a child I used her Master Your Theory books to undertake my annual AMEB theory exam and, as I proceeded through the grades of AMEB on piano, I would occasionally come across her name in the manual lists.
But on receipt of this book I realised that I knew remarkably little about such an important composer – perhaps the only composer in Australia who could have claimed to be a household name. However this has now been rectified.
The authors have done an excellent job of outlining her life. Largely spent in Australia but, importantly for her development as a composer, some significant periods in England. They were fortunate that Holland herself d
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Guide to the Papers of Dulcie Holland
Orchestral and instrumental music: Aria for alto saxophone with string orchestra, 1954 (File 1) - FolioBox 1
Orchestral and instrumental music: Autumn saraband, 1975 (File 2) - FolioBox 1
Orchestral and instrumental music: Barely spring, 1993 (File 3) - FolioBox 1
Orchestral and instrumental music: Conversation à 4, 1981 (File 4) - FolioBox 1
Orchestral and instrumental music: Cradle song for a special child, 1995 (photocopy) (File 5) - FolioBox 1
Orchestral and instrumental music: Diversion, 1959 (File 6) - FolioBox 1
Orchestral and instrumental music: Divertimento for violin and piano in four movements, 1952 (2 scores) (File 7) - FolioBox 1
Orchestral and instrumental music: Doves around, 1992 (File 8) - FolioBox 1
Orchestral and instrumental music: Evening music, 1987 (File 9) - FolioBox 1
Orchestral and instrumental music: Fantasy trio for violin, cello and piano, 1938 (File 10) - FolioBox 1
Orchestral and instrumental music: Festival flourish, 1965 (File 11) - FolioBox 1
Orchestral and instrumental music •
Written by: Ronan Apcar
Growing up and studying music in my generation, you more than likely came across the name Dulcie Holland, thanks to her Master Your Theory workbooks used in schools and as a supplement to AMEB theory. She made an immense contribution to Australian music education that still lasts today. However, this very success unfortunately overshadows her work as a composer and because of this, many still think of Holland as an educator, not a brilliant composer and musician who wrote over 300 works during her nearly seven-decade career.
Although Holland wrote for everything – choirs to orchestras, chamber to solo – she flourished when writing for the piano. Being no amateur pianist or composer, she produced some very sophisticated works. In fact, her Sonata for Piano was described by Larry Sitsky AO as “undoubtedly a landmark work in the Australian oeuvre”. Such high praise piqued my interest, yet there were no available recordings or scores. No longer in circulation, scores and recordings were left to fade into oblivion in the archive. This led me to ask: i
Written by: Ronan Apcar
Growing up and studying music in my generation, you more than likely came across the name Dulcie Holland, thanks to her Master Your Theory workbooks used in schools and as a supplement to AMEB theory. She made an immense contribution to Australian music education that still lasts today. However, this very success unfortunately overshadows her work as a composer and because of this, many still think of Holland as an educator, not a brilliant composer and musician who wrote over 300 works during her nearly seven-decade career.
Although Holland wrote for everything – choirs to orchestras, chamber to solo – she flourished when writing for the piano. Being no amateur pianist or composer, she produced some very sophisticated works. In fact, her Sonata for Piano was described by Larry Sitsky AO as “undoubtedly a landmark work in the Australian oeuvre”. Such high praise piqued my interest, yet there were no available recordings or scores. No longer in circulation, scores and recordings were left to fade into oblivion in the archive. This led me to ask: i
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