In a recent email, Marlene Wall (nee Watkin 1954), shared her memories of being in the Kilbreda Choir in the 50s under Mother Andrew McDonald.

Mother Andrew was in charge of our Kilbreda Choir, and wasn’t she in charge! She ruled with total authority, no need to ever raise her voice to us; her manner, her pauses and A Look would suffice. Our repertoire over the years that I recall from 1948 to 1954 had an impressive range and variety. I once set out to write all the songs I remembered singing and it was a long list, all those songs, hymns, anthems that she taught us.

At 12.00 midday all classes would say the Angelus and then quickly troop over to the old hall with its high, big round windows (had it been the parish church once??). (It was the Parish Church 1905-1930 SMIDA) Everyone from at least Year 7 to the seniors would go. When I was in Year 7, one of the star soloists with a beautiful strong voice was the school Captain, Anne Cooke. How I idolized her for those talents of singing and running fast in school races! Later, one of those beautiful singers was Mary Broderick from our class; she was one of the five or so in our Leaving Class who entered the Brigidine order. The others were Janice Ryan, Pauline O’Callaghan, Reba Woodwiss and Maureen Titford. Aileen Vear joined them too; she was a year below us. I remember being upset for her because she had to give up smoking when she entered – unlike the brothers at St Bede’s – some of whom smoked their heads off!

So, there we all were in the Hall. Standing on the steps at the front of the stage, I think. Standing in our previously allotted places according to our voices of alto, soprano and so on.

One of our highlights one year was the singing of the anthem “The Heavens Are Telling The Glory Of God”. We used to really love singing it in all its parts. It was a monumental anthem and we felt a real achievement at the end. That was the year we took part in some sort of choir Eisteddford in the Melbourne Town Hall. The rules for nuns were incredibly strict back pre-Vatican II and I don’t think Mother Andrew was permitted to accompany us although we didn’t realise that at the time. Instead, her solution was to invite the eminent Dr Schillberger to be our choir-master for the evening. In preparation for this, he came to school a couple of times and rehearsed with the choir prior to our performance. It all went terrifically to great applause. I seem to recall that a recording was made of this too — extremely exciting in those non-technological days.

Perhaps Mother Andrew had contacts or even friends in the wider musical community? I also recall that Dr Percy Jones visited Kilbreda. He was important in the diocese and Musical Director, I think. A few years later when working at a holiday job waitressing at “The Arab” in Lorne, Dr Jones was a customer I served. I reminded him of his visit and he spoke of Mother Andrew with a genuine, sincere respect.

At one time we were putting on a Pageant set in olden – Medieval ?? times. (Groan, we all thought but wouldn’t dare say out loud).

I was cast as an old man and was not particularly grateful for that role! Mother Andrew was in charge of the production and we were at the stage of planning costumes. What would this old man wear? My Mum had recently made me a pair of unpleasantly thick, dark brown slacks and I was nobly prepared to wear them publicly for the benefit of this play-thing! Helpfully, I started to say this….”Mother, I have a pair of Sla…….” She cut me off there as quick as a wink. I wasn’t permitted to even say the word “slacks” let alone the horror of actually wearing them on a Kilbreda stage! Mother Andrew’s solution was for me to laboriously wind a length of dark cloth around my legs and use cord or thin rope to bind it in place – laced criss-cross around the legs in the manner seen in pictures of old farm workers.

But it is not fair to mock her attitude, her standards. Ten years later in 1962, I was staying with a friend in a country town – Heyfield in Gippsland. We were about to walk down to do some shopping in town but when she saw me in a pair of slacks, she asked me gently if I would mind changing and wearing a skirt. It was evidently socially unacceptable for a woman to wear trousers in public back then, at least in Heyfield anyway.

But Mother Andrew’s lessons live on in my life. Different songs she taught will sometimes drift into my mind. Her strict breathing instructions still resound when singing certain hymns eg. sufficient initial intake of breath to complete the “Gloria” in Gloria In Excelsis Deo” carol – without stopping. Or listening with increasing irritation when today’s singers show ignorance as they warble “Advance Australia Fair” crooning through notes and not phrasing properly.

Mother Andrew’s patrician manner, her dignity, her unspoken authority of presence and her teaching, I remember still.

Damian Smith
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