Colin Declan Smith (10 June 1928 – 23 October 2005) was an Australian Christian Brother and

hymnodist A hymnwriter (or hymn writer, hymnist, hymnodist, hymnographer, etc.) is someone who writes the text, music, or both of hymns. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the composition of hymns dates back to before the time of David, who is traditionally ...

Early life

Smith was born on 10 June 1928 in

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, Western Australia, and began his interest in liturgical music as a choir boy at St Mary's Cathedral, Perth.

Sacred music

Smith's output of liturgical music includes settings of the Psalms for the three-year liturgical cycle of Masses, several settings of the Ordinary of the Mass, two collections of hymns, and other sacred works including a choral arrangement of ''O God, our help in ages past''. Arguably Colin's signature work is the Mass Shalom, originally composed in 1977 and one of the only Australian Mass settings popular before the revision of the English translation of the Mass to be reworked for the 2010 translation. As Colin had died some five years earlier, the revisions were the work of Paul Mason. He was also the director of the John Paul Singers, a Catholic sacred choir formed for the Papal Visit of

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

, until May 2005, shortly before his death, when he handed the baton to Donrita Reefman, who in turn passed on the baton to Julie Spencer in September 2014.

Death and legacy

Brother Colin Smith died in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, Australia on Sunday 23 October 2005 at the age of 77; after his death, Christian Brothers medium Edmund Rice Online described Colin as having given a "huge contribution to liturgical music in Australia". His funeral took place at St Mary's Church in Concord on Saturday 29 October 2005. In October 2015, Brother Colin Smith was remembered by workshops and concerts held in

and

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

to mark the tenth anniversary of his death.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Colin Australian male composers Australian composers Australian Roman Catholics Catholic music Christian hymnwriters Australian performers of Christian music Australian hymnwriters 1928 births 2005 deaths 20th-century Australian male musicians 20th-century Australian musicians