Michael Brimer – A Tribute by Judith Brimer

“We’ve got a baby in the choir!!” exclaimed the Dean of St Georges Cathedral, Cape Town, in 1938. Thus began the career of Michael Brimer.

Michael, having an unusually broad background as pianist, organist, chamber musician, accompanist, conductor, composer, academic, teacher, adjudicator and administrator in London, Cambridge, Vienna, South Africa and Australia, made a significant contribution to the whole world of music. One could say that he was a “Jack of all trades” – In fact, he was master of them all.

His father, Robert, came to South Africa in the 1920’s from Newcastle-on-Tyne, where he had been working in the shipyards as a carpenter. After surviving a fall of several metres from ship’s rigging, he decided to try his luck in Cape Town, where he met and married Maud Lotz, Michael’s mother, a pianist, and music teacher. Bob sang in the Cathedral choir and Maud’s twin sister Ena was a leading Cape Town soprano. Bob and Maud both recognised, very early on, the extraordinary ability of their first child, Michael, born in 1933. His ability wasn’t confined to music – he finished school at 15, and at the tertiary level did an ordinary Arts degree majoring in English and History – just in case music “didn’t work out”.

Michael’s brother and sister, also musically gifted, took other paths of professional excellence, Alan a Professor of English and university registrar and Ena, musician, 2 2 teacher and sportswoman – a brilliant tennis player in both South Africa and the United States.

The music genes have carried through to the following generations as well!!

The formative years of Michael’s piano study were with Eleanor Bonnar, a pupil of Leopold Godowsky. Michael won South Africa’s major scholarships for both piano and organ to study overseas. Following study in London at the Royal College of Music, conducting as first study, and at the University of Cambridge, piano study with Franz Osborn and Franz Reizenstein in London, and in Vienna with Joseph Dichler, his international solo performing career flourished, in tandem with the academic, both nationally and internationally.

He was immersed in the church and church music as a student and then as Headquarters Choirmaster at Addington Palace, the home of the Royal School of Church Music, and as Organ Scholar at Clare College in Cambridge. Notably, aside from duties as Organ Scholar there, he formed and conducted a large choir and an orchestra that was led by now Sir Roger Norrington.

His Australian experience started at the Church of England Grammar School (Churchie) in Brisbane, a twoyear appointment as Director of Music (1958-60). He wrote a war cry that’s still heard on the playing fields today. This post, in fact, enabled him to avoid being called up for the very last intake in Britain for National Service! He fell in love with Australia instead!

His studies led to academic appointments at the University of Western Australia as lecturer, Monash University as Senior Lecturer, the University of Natal as Foundation Professor of Music, then the University of Cape Town as Professor and Dean of the College of Music, and the University of Melbourne where for nine years he was Ormond Professor. He was appointed Professor Emeritus on leaving Melbourne at the end of 1988.

When Michael and family arrived in Perth for six months’ study-leave from Cape Town University in 1977, his expectation was that he would work on a study of Wagner’s very early operas, the scores of which the University of Western Australia had in its music library. His some-time ex-boss, Professor Sir Frank Callaway, of the University of Western Australia, called him on the day after we arrived in Perth in January, and asked him to play, as Artist-in-Residence, the 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas instead. At that point he knew 12 of the 32. He had at first expressed grave doubts. But Professor Callaway was very persuasive, so he caved in and said he would do it. He performed them in chronological order, with a spoken introduction before each one, over ten recitals in 5 weeks, from the beginning of May. Dame Gillian Weir was the preceding artist-in-residence and we were privileged to attend an amazing series of Bach organ recitals, before the Beethoven series began, on the organ in Winthrop Hall, which Michael had designed in consultation with the organ builder Walkers (he had given the opening recital in January 1965). Michael subsequently performed the Beethoven series another four times, one of which was longer because, other than the very early works, it included the rest of the solo piano works. Always everything from memory, of course!! The fourth series, held at The Victorian Arts Centre, was broadcast, and recorded by the ABC.

His many performances as an organist included those at the Royal Albert Hall, Clare and King’s Colleges in Cambridge, at the Sydney and Melbourne Town Halls. and most recently in Christchurch St Laurance, Sydney.

In addition to his achievements as a performer, Michael also had extensive conducting experience with leading orchestras in Australia and overseas, which encompassed opera, choral and orchestral repertoire, from classical to contemporary works, including premier performances. He formed the Bach Society Choir in Perth and, with it and players from the WA Symphony Orchestra, gave the first complete performance in Australia of Bach’s St Matthew Passion at Easter 1965.

His special areas of research were of the piano music of Beethoven and Schumann and the early music of Wagner.

On his retirement from university life and moving to Bermagui on the Sapphire Coast of NSW, he continued to contribute to the musical life of organisations and communities. At the ABC’s request, he performed all of Schumann’s solo piano music in a series of weekly fundraiser restoration concerts in the Music Room at Labassa, in Melbourne – at the same time the Brimer rural residence was being constructed!! Both the Beethoven and Schumann Series were voted, in annual ABC surveys, as the most listened-to series presented by ABC.

“Indaba Sundays” was a concert series that took place in a machinery shed on our 15-acre property “Indaba’ (Zulu for ‘area of responsibility’) south of Bermagui, the interior of which we had converted into an elegant music room. Friends from Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney took part in a varied offering of musical delights – followed by food and wine, of course!

Michael was a co-founder, together with a group of friends, and the inaugural Artistic Director, of the Four Winds Festival in Bermagui. This festival was established in 1991 on a magnificent property adjacent to Indaba. It has flourished since and now has a very significant presence in Australia’s musical calendar.

A move to Sydney at the end 1993 opened yet another chapter in his life of working with amazing colleagues and friends. On arrival, he was asked by the ABC to perform all of Schubert’s sonatas in live, recorded broadcasts.

He loved playing chamber music and was delighted that together with Donald Hazelwood AO, violinist, and Catherine Hewgill, cellist, The Australian Trio was formed in 1996. Over several years, cellists Susan Blake, Fenella Gill, Leah Jenning and Georg Pedersen also performed as part of the Trio.

An accomplished composer, his works include two trios which were premiered by The Australian Trio.

He performed as soloist, and with chamber groups, in concert series with various organisations in a variety of settings, including, for example:

• The annual Sydney Myer Music Bowl concerts
• Musica Viva
• The Victorian Arts Centre
• The Sydney Opera House
• Melba Hall
• House Music (Government House in Sydney)
• The Sydney Soloists
• Hazelwood and Friends
• Villa Music
• The Sydney Classical Music Society
• Music at the Heights
• Ku-ring-gai Virtuosi, and the
• Garibaldi Society, a group of very close friends, for whom he wrote an anthem.

He was involved in various other music organisations, competitions, National Music Camps, and events. He was a juror for the Sydney International Piano Competition, for the Theme and Variations Foundation and Emerging Artists program, and of countless eisteddfods and competitions. He examined for the AMEB, engagingly talked about music to many schools and other organisations, taught and mentored.

In recent years, the incomparable beauty of Watson’s Bay was a source of great joy and contentment. On the first Sunday there (December 2012), we went for a walk, paused at the door of this church while a service was in progress, and were astonished at the wonderful playing by the organist – Kurt Ison!!! We signed up as parishioners! and Kurt became a colleague and friend. Michael voluntarily played every Wednesday for a community service and was a back-up for Kurt, then following Kurt’s departure, became the organist here.

Michael was never one to “blow his own trumpet”. He would only allow others to speak for him. So, I will read some of the comments made and received since his passing became known:

A loving, kind man Michael happily shared his extraordinary gifts of knowledge, insight, and performance ability with everyone.

“People he worked with became his friends.”

“in our view, the quality that most distinguished Michael’s playing was its utter integrity – no virtuosity merely for its own sake, no “heart on sleeve” emotional wallowing, no idle gestures, only a complete commitment to communicate what the composer intended, exactly as possible”

“Michael was the most wonderful man, loved immediately by all who met him. His loss will be felt by a huge number of people who have been lucky enough to know him over so many years and in so many situations 8 8 and countries. His sense of humour was wonderful, and he had a real gift for telling a story.

“Michael never said a bad word about anyone, and he was one of those rare people who spread goodness and happiness wherever they go. He was also, of course, the most magnificent musician. But above all Michael was simply a lovely, good person, a shining example to us all of what a human being should be.”

“One word that sums him up is integrity. Integrity comes from integer; a whole number and it means being in a state of wholeness and completeness. That was Michael.”

Professor Michael Brimer. By Bishop Stuart Robinson

Our dear friend, Michael Brimer, was for me, an exemplar of goodness, righteousness, and truth.

As you know, Michael was a world class pianist, and organist who studied, taught in, and performed within some of the most prestigious colleges, universities, concert venues, schools, and churches across the globe.

His music and arrangements are listened to, studied, and presented by this generations’ finest array of composers, performers, choirs, soloists, and orchestra’s.

And yet Michael, ever joyful, served us, out here on the very edge of Australia, week by week in leading worship, and honouring Christ with the gifts God had given him, on our little Napoleon organ.

Michael was self-effacing, and ever ready to give God the glory for the gifts, and skills that he faithfully stewarded.

And that is because Michael recognised Jesus as his Lord.

Yes, Michael had placed his life into the nailed scarred hands of his Saviour, Jesus.

I can remember times in conversation or in ‘Zoom’ bible studies when Michael was overwhelmed with emotion as he reflected on God’s mercy to him in Christ.

And it was this Jesus that Michael trusted in the face of adversity and infirmity.

We know that Michael struggled with a neurological condition that oftentimes impeded his free-flowing movement.

And yet, he managed to climb our deadly organ loft stairs each week, before leading us in worship.

Some of you may even remember that in the height of COVID Michael would stand at the glass loft rail and sing for us – unaccompanied.

Remarkable.

And of course, Michael and Judith were generous and hospitable; they opened their home and their lives to us here at SHAP, to the village of Watsons Bay, and to the wider community.

Michael’s was a rich and full life in the service of his Messiah and Lord, our Saviour Jesus.

He modelled for us the goodness, righteousness and truth that flow from such a relationship.

I commend that pattern of life, and the Lord whom Michael served and loved, to you.

In the name of Christ.

Amen.