Richard Connolly (composer)

Richard Connolly
Born	(1927-11-10) 10 November 1927 Granville, New South Wales, Australia
Died	4 May 2022(2022-05-04) (aged 94) Sydney, Australia
Occupation(s)	Composer, musician, broadcaster
Years active	1956–2022
Known for	Composer of ABC TV's Play School theme; prolific Catholic liturgical music composer

Richard Connolly (10 November 1927 – 4 May 2022) was a distinguished Australian composer, musician, and broadcaster. Awarded a Churchill Fellowship, he pursued studies in broadcasting throughout Europe, including countries such as France, Italy, and Germany. Connolly maintained a lengthy association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), where he contributed extensively as a writer and composer for radio, television programs, documentaries, and films.

During his tenure with ABC’s education division, he created the theme music for the children’s television program Play School, setting to music lyrics authored by Dr. Rosemary Milne. In recognition of its cultural, historical, and artistic importance, this composition was inducted in 2017 into the National Film and Sound Archive’s list of the top 10 Sounds of Australia.

Renowned as one of Australia’s most productive composers of Catholic liturgical music, Connolly crafted hymns aligned with the reforms introduced by the Second Vatican Council. His compositions have been published and embraced by various Christian denominations. He earned acclaim through his partnership with poet James McAuley, achieving notable success both within Christian circles and the broader secular music industry.

Life and career

Born in Granville, New South Wales, Connolly was raised in a Catholic household in Guildford. Proficient in Latin, he initially embarked on theological studies in Rome from 1946 to 1950 with intentions of entering the priesthood. However, he returned to Australia prior to ordination to complete an arts degree at the University of Sydney. In 1955, through an introduction by Father Ted Kennedy, Connolly began a fruitful musical collaboration with James McAuley, composing hymns intended for use during Mass. Their joint efforts throughout the 1950s and 1960s significantly shaped modern Australian hymnody. Their works were first published in Hymns for the Year of Grace (1963) and earlier featured in the Living Parish hymnbook (1960), which sold over one million copies within ten years. Many of their hymns continue to be widely adopted by Christian communities both across Australia and internationally.

Connolly commenced his career at ABC in 1956, initially focusing on educational broadcasts. By 1967, he transitioned to the Radio Drama and Features Department where he served as features editor. In 1971, he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship that enabled him to collaborate with European broadcasters including Italy’s Radio France and Bayerischer Rundfunk; he also spent several months working with the BBC’s radio drama script department. During this time abroad, Connolly composed music for the BBC television series The British Empire. Upon returning to Australia, he was appointed Head of Radio Drama and Features at ABC.

Among his notable compositions were pieces created for Pope Paul VI’s inaugural visit to Australia at Randwick Racecourse and St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, including a "papal entry and march" adaptation of Psalm 85. His hymn "Help of Christians, Guard this Land," which resonated deeply with Australian Catholics, became a symbol associated with the Catholic Right during the 1950s and 1960s.

In December 2009, Connolly was honored with an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame Australia in recognition of his significant contributions to Catholic liturgical music. He regarded his hymns co-written with McAuley as "the centrepiece" of his work within liturgical contexts.

Connolly experienced illness shortly before turning 90 in November 2017 but subsequently recovered. He passed away in Sydney on 4 May 2022 at the age of 94.

Hymnody

A number of Connolly's hymn melodies carry names that reflect Australian heritage, such as:

• Araluen (In Faith and Hope and Love)
• Camilla (Help of Christians)
• Catherine (Holy Father, God of Might)
• Cosmic Praise (Sing a new song)
• Forbes Street (O Jesus crucified)
• Helen (From many grapes and grains of wheat)
• Jeremy (Where there is Charity and love)
• Lindfield (May this Lenten discipline)
• Newtown (Come O Jesus)
• Sancta Sophia (Jesus in your heart we find)
• Ruggiero (By your kingly power)
• Sandy Bay (Father, we praise you)
• Travalli (By your priestly power)
• Venantius (Seek, O seek the Lord)

Liturgical music

Connolly’s body of liturgical works encompasses:

• 1967-68 "Go teach all nations" – a Mass composed for schola, choir, organ, tympani, and brass ensemble, crafted to commemorate the Christian Brothers' Centenary Year in Sydney.
• Psalm 85 ('Song of the Church') – arranged for choir in unison with organ and brass ensemble.
• Give us Peace Mass – designed for congregational participation.
• 2002 Mass of St John the Apostle, dedicated to the parish of St John the Apostle in Narraweena.
• 2005 Missa Pax et Bonum, a Mass combining choral and congregational elements for St Francis of Assisi Parish in Paddington, featuring SATB choir with brass and organ accompaniment.
• 2007 Mass of Our Lady Help of Christians – intended for congregational use.
• 2009 Mass titled "Common Things Divinely" – a setting for congregational singing; published by Willow Publishing.
• 2010 Notre Dame Mass – released by Willow Publishing.
• 2012 Year of Grace – published through Willow Publishing.
• 2015 Psalms - Praise the Lord My Soul, a collection comprising 35 Psalm arrangements suitable for Sundays, liturgical seasons, feasts, and Australian-specific occasions; issued by Willow Publishing.
• 2017 Motet Mater Boni Consilii, written for SATB choir.

Secular music

Connolly is also credited with composing "There's A Bear in There!", the well-known theme song for ABC TV's Play School, familiar to multiple generations across Australia.

References

• Catholic Worship Book, Collins Liturgical Publications (London), E.J. Dwyer Pty Ltd NSW, 1985.

External links

• From the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit: A Heritage of Traditional Catholic Hymns
• Article on Vatican II renewal mentioning Richard Connolly and James McAuley
• Obituary for Fr Ted Kennedy noting his links with Connolly
• The choir of St Francis, Paddington, Australia, with sound file of Connolly's 2005 Mass

Further reading

• R. J. Stove, "Visions of Ceremony: An interview with Richard Connolly", Quadrant, October 2013, pp. 109–113