The cultural legacy of Christina Boughen OAM

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. 

If you walk through Brisbane today, music surrounds you. You might hear the sounds of the public piano in the tunnel of Queensland Performing Arts Complex, watch students bustling into the Conservatorium, or attend a free concert at City Hall. Maybe you’re a parent of one of the thousands of students across Australia sitting for Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB) exams each year, or perhaps you’ve seen competitors shine at a local Eisteddfod. These activities are all threads in Brisbane’s rich cultural tapestry, a fabric woven by generations of dedicated musicians. One such musician whose legacy continues to resonate is Christina Boughen OAM.

Today, we often hear about the ‘portfolio career’—a term that rose to prominence in the late-1990s largely due to the publications of organisational behaviourist Charles Handy.(1) Long before this term gained popularity, Christina Boughen embodied it. The scope of her musical activities is impressive. In the 1940s you could hear her performing recitals on ABC Radio, under her maiden name, Christine Whyte. (2)

In the concert hall, she was playing concerti with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, including the premiere of local composer Percy Brier’s Piano Concerto in C Minor. (3) On the road, Christina was a touring accompanist for the finalists in the Mobil Quest competition, including the acclaimed soprano Dame Joan Sutherland who won the national competition in 1950. (4)

At her home in Kedron, Christina was fulfilling her teaching commitments to a busy roster of piano students, but it was in the centre of Brisbane at City Hall that you could truly witness the range of her skills. Christina had a long involvement with the free public concerts at City Hall, in the capacity as a soloist, an accompanist, a concert programmer, producer and mentor to the young musicians for whom these concerts provided valuable professional performance experience. (5)

During my time as the Christina Boughen OAM Fellow, I delved into Christina Boughen’s life and work to gain an understanding of what made her artistry unique and in demand. This research involved a thorough examination of her personal and professional papers housed at the State Library of Queensland, and oral histories collected by Juanita Simmonds (2022 Christina Boughen OAM Fellow). The Christina Boughen OAM and Robert Boughen OBE papers contain a vast array of items, including performance reviews, examination certificates, meeting minutes, teaching ledgers, family photographs, adjudication reports, concert programs, and even one of Christina’s performance gowns. The oral histories include interviews with musicians Joyce Skelton, Sue Witham, Dr Karen Lonsdale and Shelli Hulcombe, detailing their interactions with Christina Boughen and the City Hall concerts. (6)

Inspired by these materials, I set out to present my research in a manner that is both a celebration and a continuation of Christina’s musical legacy in Brisbane. The research is presented through a series of original compositions for solo piano. These works are divided into two collections.

The first collection, composed for developing pianists, contains five pieces that each draw inspiration from an item in the Christina Boughen OAM and Robert Boughen OBE papers. These items include:

• a radio appearance by a young Christina Boughen (then Chrissie Whyte),
• a set of doll’s clothes,
• a review of Christina performing,
• a composition written by Christina Boughen and her husband Robert, and
• a performance gown.

The second collection, composed for more advanced pianists, is a suite in three movements inspired by a sketch by Christina, and a description of her playing in a review.

These compositions aim to give pianists a glimpse into the life of Christina Boughen, and to spark curiosity and further exploration of her remarkable career.

The music will be premiered at the Research Reveals in March, performed by Daniel Johnson, a pianist, educator, adjudicator, and AMEB examiner. This novel presentation of research as a musical endeavour showcases the enduring vibrancy of Brisbane’s cultural scene—a testament to Christina Boughen’s lasting impact on culture in this city.

References

1. Stefanakos, V. S. (2013, June 14). Why I love having a “portfolio career” (and you could, too). Forbes. 
2. A.B.C. RADIO ENTERTAINMENT (1940, August 23). The Beaudesert Times (Qld. : 1908 - 1954), p. 10. 
3. Boughen, C., & Boughen, R. (1856). Robert Boughen’s collection of musical compositions from Queensland composers (1924-2016?). 32654 Christina Boughen OAM and Robert Boughen OBE papers, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. 
4. Joan Sutherland Wins Mobil Quest (1950, September 7). The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), p. 2.
5. Simmonds, J. (2023, July 18). Concerts aplenty: Christina Boughen and the mid-century City Hall performances. State Library of Queensland.
6. Oral histories collected as part of Juanita Simmonds 2022 Christina Boughen OAM Fellowship. These oral history are still being catalogued and will be live on State Library's catalogue soon. Until then, you can watch Juanita talk about these interviews in her 2024 Research Reveals talk. 

Read other blogs about Christina Boughen OAM and her career.

Listen to Juanita Simmonds, 2022 Christina Boughen OAM Fellow, discuss Christina Boughen on the Infinite Women podcast.