Concert Reviews in 1950s Brisbane

This blog was written by 2024 Christina Boughen OAM Fellow, Dr Nicole Murphy for her project, Exploration, Celebration and Continuation: the legacy of Christina Boughen OAM

Take a journey back in time to Brisbane in the 1950s through a short film produced by the Department of the Interior for the Commonwealth of Australia.

In just under ten minutes, this film transports viewers to a bygone era, showcasing landmarks like St John’s Cathedral, the grounds of Newstead House, the bustling retail stores of Adelaide Street, and a sparsely populated University of Queensland campus, starkly different from its modern-day counterpart. Beyond the urban highlights, the film captures the charm of Brisbane’s suburban houses and gardens, painting a vivid picture of life in this "city in the sun.” (1)

Among Brisbane’s stories of the 1950s is the marriage of pianist Christina Urquhart Whyte to fellow musician Robert Keith Boughen on June 2, 1951. Together, they had a significant impact on musical life in Brisbane, creating a legacy that resonates to this day.

Christina Boughen OAM, was a distinguished pianist, teacher, accompanist, and concert producer. Her husband, Robert Boughen OBE, was a celebrated organist, conductor, and pedagogue. Their Kenmore residence was a lively hub of musical activity, home to Christina’s sister Margaret Whyte—herself an accomplished singer —as well as the Boughens’ four children.

Evidence of the Boughens’ prolific musical life is found in newspapers, concert programs and personal letters in the Christina Boughen OAM and Robert Boughen OBE papers. Often published reviews of recitals serve as valuable records of a musician's artistry and performance style, particularly when recordings are scarce. However, for women in this era, such reviews frequently emphasised their appearance over their musical achievements.

One striking example, preserved in a scrapbook of musical artefacts compiled by Christina’s sister, Margaret Whyte, highlights this bias. The review pertains to a choral concert and devotes considerable attention to the choristers’ dresses, offering no commentary on their musical performance. The only description of the conductor notes her position—facing away from the audience—and describes her attire as “white, sleeveless, with a flared skirt and an unusual corselet belt.”

Jean Richards, a soloist in the program, was described as possessing “a very pretty dignity, a cheery Spanish-looking coiffure, as well as a nice voice.” The only comment about another soloist, Leith Murdoch, was that she appeared “attractive in a soft blue frock.”

By contrast, reviews of male singers Frank Curnow and John Steel from the same recital omitted descriptions of their appearance. Instead, they provided observations on the quality of their performances and the audience’s enthusiastic response.

Finally, the review makes mention of the two accompanists, one of which was Christina Boughen. Here, Christina is reviewed as one of “two clever girls” who “proved both decorative and useful as accompanists, the one in flame-tinted taffeta and the other wth a frock daintily patterned in tulips”. (2)

This disparity inspired one of the compositions in my anthology for developing pianists, titled ‘Decorative and Useful’. This tongue-in-cheek piece is a study in musical ornamentation, featuring trills, mordents, and other embellishments that “decorate” melodies. Through this composition, I aim to provide pianists with a tool for exploring ornamentation while drawing attention to the gendered biases that shaped Christina Boughen’s musical era.

References

1. McInnes, Hugh. “Brisbane: City in the Sun: NFSA.” National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/asset/96726-brisbane-city-sun.
2. Boughen, C., & Boughen, R. (1856). Christina Whyte/Boughen scrapbook 1936-1988. 32654 Christina Boughen OAM and Robert Boughen OBE papers.

Read other blogs by Dr Nicole Murphy:

• The cultural legacy of Christina Boughen OAM

Read other blogs about Christina Boughen OAM and her career.