Music | National Library of Australia (NLA)

Music

Module On stage

Grand dames of opera

Dame Nellie Melba

Dame Nellie Melba (1861–1931) was one of Australia’s first international music stars. A celebrated soprano, she performed to great acclaim around the world and often toured in Australia.

Melba was known for her determination, professionalism and generosity. She left a significant bequest to the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and kept detailed records of her life through letters and writings, many of which are preserved today.

A formal portrait photograph of a lady wearing a diamond tiara. She is in profile. She has short hair and a lace gown on. She is wearing a long string of pearls. The photograph is signed 'Nellie Melba 1922'

Harold Cazneaux, Nellie Melba, 1922, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-140210035

Harold Cazneaux, Nellie Melba, 1922, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-140210035

Australian composers

Percy Aldridge Grainger

Percy Grainger (1882–1961) was a composer, pianist and arranger born in Australia. He studied in Germany, performed in London, and moved to the United States in 1914, where he became involved in music education.

Grainger is known for his innovative compositions and arrangements of folk music. His most famous piece is Country Gardens.

A sepia toned portrait of a young man with wavy blond hair. He is wearing a shirt with large lapels and black tie. Signed on the photo are the words 'Cordially yours, Percy Grainger'

A. Dupont, Portrait of Percy Grainger (full face), 1915, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-147269818

A. Dupont, Portrait of Percy Grainger (full face), 1915, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-147269818

Deborah Cheetham

Deborah Cheetham Fraillon (born 1964) is a Yorta Yorta woman, opera singer, composer and artistic director. A member of the Stolen Generations, she created Pecan Summer (2010), Australia’s first Aboriginal opera. It tells the story of the 1939 Cummeragunja walk-off and is sung in both Yorta Yorta language and English.

Cheetham is the founder and director of Short Black Opera, a national company for First Nations performers.

Learning activities

Activity 1: Make your own lagerphone

A lagerphone is a percussion instrument made from a broom or mop handle. In a 1956 article in the journal Singabout, The Bushwhackers’ ‘lagerphonist’, Brian Loughlin, suggested it was a successor to a ‘Jingling Johnny’ used by English military bands: ‘The instrument is not solely meant to make people laugh, but is intended as a serious rhythm accompaniment to melody instruments … If you haven’t got a lagerphone, make one this weekend. They are good fun … and remember the Bushwhackers’ slogan, “A lagerphone in every home”.’

Activity 2: Junkyard jam

Alternatives to the lagerphone can be fun instruments made from simple items like rubber bands: try a rubber band and ruler guitar or bands simply stretched over lunchboxes.

Activity 3: Found-sound performance

Have the students collaborate to compose a performance based on forms and elements of music. This can be as sophisticated or as simple as equipment/imaginations allow. Use beatbox backgrounds ranging from clapping and scatting to thigh-slapping. Add layers to the piece in a round.

Page published: 21 May 2025

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