Roger David Covell AM FAHA (1 February 1931 – 4 June 2019) was an Australian

musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...

, critic and author. He was

Professor Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

in the School of the Arts and Media at the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensiv ...

, in Sydney, and continued until shortly before his death to contribute articles and reviews to ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', where he served as principal music critic from 1960 until the late 1990s.

Biography

Published in 1967, Covell's monograph ''Australia's Music: Themes of a New Society'' was the first comprehensive study of the history, development and performance of Western serious (classical) music in Australia, and is now regarded as a seminal text in Australian musicology. It has been widely referenced among succeeding generations of Australian composers, practitioners and critics of serious music, and by Australian cultural historians generally. Covell died in Sydney on 4 June 2019.University of NSW
Retrieved 4 June 2019

Bibliography

Non-fiction

*''Australia's Music: Themes of a New Society'' (Sun Books, Melbourne, 1967)

Libretti

*''Morning-song for the Christ Child'': for unaccompanied mixed chorus, with music by

Peter Sculthorpe Peter Joshua Sculthorpe (29 April 1929 – 8 August 2014) was an Australian composer. Much of his music resulted from an interest in the music of countries neighboring Australia as well as from the impulse to bring together aspects of Aborigin ...

(Faber Music, c1966) *''Sea chant'': for unison voices and orchestra, with music by Peter Sculthorpe (Faber Music, c1968) *''Autumn Song'': for unaccompanied mixed chorus, with music by Peter Sculthorpe (Faber Music, c1972)

Edited

*''The Currency Lass, or, My Native Girl'' (a musical play in two acts) by Edward Geoghegan (Currency Press, c1976)

Awards and nominations

On Australia Day 1986, Covell was appointed a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Order (distinction), honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of Australia, Queen of Aus ...

in recognition of service to music. Seven years later he was awarded the Pascall Prize for Critical Writing, in recognition of his services to music criticism in Australia.

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. ! , - , 2006 , , Roger Covell , , Long-Term Contribution to the Advancement of Australian Music, , , , , -

Bernard Heinze Memorial Award

The Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia. ! , - , 2012 , , Roger Covell , , Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award , , , , , -

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Covell, Roger 1931 births 2019 deaths APRA Award winners Australian male dramatists and playwrights Australian music critics Australian music journalists Australian musical theatre librettists Classical music critics Members of the Order of Australia Recipients of the Centenary Medal Academic staff of the University of New South Wales 20th-century Australian dramatists and playwrights