The Australian Art Song Resource

The project consists of two stages.

Stage 1 focuses on repertoire that is currently, or has been, taught in studios within Australia.

Currently:

Complete data from the 2022 survey has been entered.
Songs from the 2024 survey appear as incomplete and will be updated as the next stage of research is finalised.
If a field reads “unknown,” we have not yet been able to verify that information.

This stage is nearing completion.

The AASR database is designed to be an evolving and expanding catalogue. Studios are not static environments. A song that suits one student may not suit another, and as students move on, repertoire inevitably evolves. Our research has expanded to include songs that have previously been taught by survey respondents, as well as those currently in use. To date, survey data has yielded more than 70 Australian art songs. New material and refinements will continue to be added as the project develops.

You can read more about the Stage 1 survey here and its findings in our paper The Australian Art Song Resource: Exploring Current Trends and Developing a New Resource.

Stage 2 will expand the resource through additional song selections and further materials such as the creation of new recordings and live presentations.

Definitions

Our research showed that there were different understandings of what defined an Australian Art Song was by survey respondents. Songs selected for the AASR (Australia Art Song Resource), met the following criteria.

An Australian Art Song is a song that is composed primarily for voice and piano. Therefore, songs that are drawn from larger staged works (like operas or musicals) or choral works (for multiple voices), while they may be currently taught in studios, are outside the scope of this project. An Australian Art Song is written by an Australian Art Music Composer, one that utilises Western classical techniques and language.
An Art Music Composer is one who is Represented (identified as representing a significant artistic contribution) or is an Associate Artist (achieved a notable level of recognition in the community) with the Australian Music Centre (the national service organisation dedicated to the promotion and support of art music in Australia) or are featured in Wirripang’s catalogue of Australian Composers.

Note: There is one listed composer who falls outside this definition but merits inclusion as they are recognised as a classical composer, has works listed in AMC’s database and is performed regularly by leading classical Australian artists.

The founders

Jenny Duck-Chong and Nicole Thomson are working singers, educators and friends with a long shared history and a keen love of Australian art song. As both performers and teachers with extensive first hand knowledge of living Australian composers, they are uniquely placed to be conduits between the creators of songs and their interpreters. Following many requests for repertoire assistance, in 2021 they began to develop the AASR project.

As a performer, artistic director and educator Jenny Duck-Chong has forged a career by delving into the corners of her art form. She dusts off the rarely heard and breathes life into new works, encouraging audiences and students alike to listen to music with fresh ears.
With a performance career spanning more than 30 years, mezzo-soprano Jenny Duck-Chong has extensive experience in a broad range of classical repertoire and a large output of recordings. Keen to engage with the next generation of musicians, for more than three decades Jenny has performed in concerts, presented classes on Australian and international works and workshopped student compositions in educational institutions in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. She runs a private singing studio and a consultation service for composers keen to hone their skills in vocal writing.
Alongside her solo work and teaching roles, she is the artistic director of Halcyon and co-founder of Flametree.
jennydc.com

International performer and pedagogue Nicole Thomson, works alongside artists across all genres and spheres of influence, and is a champion of quality music education within an environment of musical and theatrical excellence.
Previously a long-term member of The Song Company, her pedigree of performance highlights includes international touring, festivals and concert appearances, working with living composers and regular engagements in South-East Asia. Nicole’s freelance career includes performances with chamber ensemble Flametree with mezzo-soprano Jenny Duck-Chong and pianist Jo Allan. As co-founder of The Culture Exchange (TCX), a creative initiative with international conductor Kevin Field, Nicole supports the creation of new works and collaborations across the globe. Always investigating, Nicole’s current focuses are Australian Art Song (with Jenny Duck-Chong), interpretive practice and collaboration. Currently lecturing at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Nicole has established a mentoring program for emerging artists and shares performances of contemporary classical works in interesting environments.
www.nicole-thomson.com

Read more about Flametree and their work here.

The categories

Our research has shown that, for teachers seeking repertoire, there are often gaps in the information available online, making it hard and time-consuming to make song selections. Sites vary in the amount of song detail provided¹ and there is often limited or no information on grading, suitability or tessitura. Voice specification is frequently absent or generalised (‘unspecified voice’). Cathy Aggett’s research into Australian Art Song² also highlights another obstacle. Even when a voice type is specified it can be misleading, as the assigned voice type and the range can be at odds. In addition, the availability of alternate keys or even basic range information are rarely indicated. Repertoire shared between teachers is uncommon. More detailed song information available in one location would allow teachers to access or share suitable material more easily.

^{1. The Australian Music Centre has shared with us that they only list the information that is given to them by the composer. This explains why their catalogue listings are not consistent in the song information provided. Wirripang, as a publisher specialising in Australian music, helpfully provides consistent details for all their song listings. But other composer, publishers or sales sites all have their own ‘house style’ which may not convey all the much-needed details that teachers require. We hope this site may encourage them to provide more useful details for teachers.}
^{2. Aggett, C. (2014). Australian art song: Pedagogical learning and teaching strategies framed for singers and singing teachers [University of Western Sydney]}

The key components for song sourcing and selection used in the AASR site are derived from the findings of Survey No. 1 (see Australian Voice article). In this survey, respondents were asked to comment on both sourcing issues and the key criteria they look for in making song selections.

The research showed that:

Assessing difficulty of repertoire was a key concern for teachers
Sourcing new songs can be difficult as information can rarely be found in a single location. Currently, sheet music is available on different platforms - the Australian Music Centre, Wirripang or other publishers or via the composer directly. Sometimes the songs exist only in audio form without a written score.
There are many gaps in the information available online. Sites vary in the amount of detail provided.
The majority of teachers found the following six areas to be of the greatest significance in their selection of repertoire (listed from highest to lowest priority): Difficulty, Range, Score availability, Suitability, Voice type, Tessitura.

Current categories

As participants had reflected, we too found it difficult to find detailed song information online. Many hours of additional research were required to painstakingly collate and refine the data for the AASR. Song information was indeed often limited and inconsistent, difficult to source and had to be gathered from various sites to provide a complete listing.

In response to these findings, the Stage 1 AASR database features key information on:

Range
Duration
Tempo
Voice Type
Date
Time Period (in 50 year increments)
Source links for available score and media.

Selected criteria are also available in multiple filters to help quickly refine searches.

Additionally, it was found that some listed songs have been out of print for many years, are not commercially available or only available to view online or to borrow so other teachers do not have permanent access to some listed repertoire. Equipped with the findings of Survey No. 1, AASR’s creators have initiated conversations with music publishers, the Australian Music Centre and individual composers to improve availability. Both AMC and Wirripang are beginning to implement changes to help make accessing these songs a simpler process for teachers.

The database page provides a general overview of the entire list of AASR songs with some details and searchable filters. The songs with hyperlinks also have a separate song page, providing all known song information, additional keys and links to media sources.

Areas still to undertake

With Difficulty of primary importance to those surveyed for song selection, we have begun the process of grading the songs. This is an important task, as not all songs have assigned grades. However, it is one of several areas that have proven to be surprisingly complicated to complete as there are no standardised agreed guidelines for easy assessment. Therefore grading is not yet included in the current database as the model we are testing requires further investigation.

While also rated as significant, we have not yet been able to assess Tessitura and Suitability. If these are areas of your own study or you have insights to share, we would be very interested to speak with you.

Conclusion

Our research has verified what individual teachers have expressed to us. It has often been overly time-consuming and difficult to explore new or unfamiliar Australian Art Song and find the right repertoire for your needs. We hope that the information the AASR provides, as well as the many sources that we have linked to, will give teachers easier and faster ways to discover music for their needs.

The website

This website was made by Liz Duck-Chong using Jekyll and DataTables.