George Logie-Smith
Encyclopedia
George Logie-Smith OBE
(2 December 1914 - 19 April 2007) was an Australia
n orchestra
and choral conductor
, music examiner, and music educator.
He was born in Melbourne
, to parents who had migrated to Australia from Scotland
before he was born. Their names were Edgar Smith and Maggie née Logie, and he appears to have formed his surname by combining his father's name and his mother's maiden name. At age 15 he conducted Handel
's Messiah
at a local church. He studied piano with Roy Shepherd, a pupil of Alfred Cortot
. He won a number of piano competitions and gave recitals. Shepherd persuaded the headmaster of Geelong College
, the Rev. Frank (later Sir Francis) Rolland, to appoint the 22-year-old Logie-Smith as director of music, despite having no academic qualifications or teacher training. The college's annual production of Gilbert and Sullivan
operas at Geelong
's largest cinema, under Logie-Smith's direction, became an event in Geelong's cultural life.
In 1948 he took a year's leave from the college to study conducting in England with Sir Adrian Boult
and John Barbirolli
. In 1958 he was appointed director of music at Scotch College
, where he was responsible for greatly expanding both the professional music staff as well as the proportion of boys studying an instrument. The school orchestra reached a standard that was considered close to professional. He led the orchestra on tours of South-East Asia and New Zealand. He also coached football, and led the college's 1st XVIII to a premiership in 1968.
At various times, he conducted the Melbourne Youth Symphonic Band, the Astra Chamber Orchestra
, the Frankston Symphony Orchestra
and the Grainger Wind Symphony, the last of which he founded as Music Director in 1986. He also founded the Astra Choir
in 1958.
He conducted on a number of LP recordings of music by Australian composers, including a recording of orchestral music with solo parts for saxophone
, which was played by Peter Clinch.
In 1964, Australian pianist Geoffrey Tozer
gave one of his earliest public performances, aged about 10, with the Astra Chamber Orchestra under Logie-Smith's direction.
For some years, he was also the Victorian Universities Schools Examination Board's Chief Examiner of HSC Music A.
, and this was upgraded to OBE in 1970.
His name is perpetuated in the Logie-Smith Auditorium at Geelong College, the George Logie-Smith Foundation at Scotch College, and a music room at Genazzano FCJ College, where he also taught.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(2 December 1914 - 19 April 2007) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
and choral conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, music examiner, and music educator.
He was born in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, to parents who had migrated to Australia from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
before he was born. Their names were Edgar Smith and Maggie née Logie, and he appears to have formed his surname by combining his father's name and his mother's maiden name. At age 15 he conducted Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
at a local church. He studied piano with Roy Shepherd, a pupil of Alfred Cortot
Alfred Cortot
Alfred Denis Cortot was a Franco-Swiss pianist and conductor. He is one of the most renowned 20th-century classical musicians, especially valued for his poetic insight in Romantic period piano works, particularly those of Chopin and Schumann.-Early life and education:Born in Nyon, Vaud, in the...
. He won a number of piano competitions and gave recitals. Shepherd persuaded the headmaster of Geelong College
The Geelong College
The Geelong College is an independent, co-educational, day and boarding school, located in Newtown, an inner-western suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia....
, the Rev. Frank (later Sir Francis) Rolland, to appoint the 22-year-old Logie-Smith as director of music, despite having no academic qualifications or teacher training. The college's annual production of Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
operas at Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
's largest cinema, under Logie-Smith's direction, became an event in Geelong's cultural life.
In 1948 he took a year's leave from the college to study conducting in England with Sir Adrian Boult
Adrian Boult
Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was...
and John Barbirolli
John Barbirolli
Sir John Barbirolli, CH was an English conductor and cellist. Born in London, of Italian and French parentage, he grew up in a family of professional musicians. His father and grandfather were violinists...
. In 1958 he was appointed director of music at Scotch College
Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, where he was responsible for greatly expanding both the professional music staff as well as the proportion of boys studying an instrument. The school orchestra reached a standard that was considered close to professional. He led the orchestra on tours of South-East Asia and New Zealand. He also coached football, and led the college's 1st XVIII to a premiership in 1968.
At various times, he conducted the Melbourne Youth Symphonic Band, the Astra Chamber Orchestra
Astra Chamber Music Society
The Astra Chamber Music Society is a concert organisation for choral music and contemporary performance, based in Melbourne, Australia and under the musical direction of John McCaughey....
, the Frankston Symphony Orchestra
Frankston Symphony Orchestra
The Frankston Symphony Orchestra is one of ten community orchestras in Victoria, Australia. It is from the Melbourne suburb of Frankston - on the Mornington Peninsula...
and the Grainger Wind Symphony, the last of which he founded as Music Director in 1986. He also founded the Astra Choir
Astra Chamber Music Society
The Astra Chamber Music Society is a concert organisation for choral music and contemporary performance, based in Melbourne, Australia and under the musical direction of John McCaughey....
in 1958.
He conducted on a number of LP recordings of music by Australian composers, including a recording of orchestral music with solo parts for saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, which was played by Peter Clinch.
In 1964, Australian pianist Geoffrey Tozer
Geoffrey Tozer
Geoffrey Tozer was an Australian classical pianist and composer. As a child prodigy, he composed an opera at the age of eight, and became the youngest recipient of a Churchill Fellowship award at 13...
gave one of his earliest public performances, aged about 10, with the Astra Chamber Orchestra under Logie-Smith's direction.
For some years, he was also the Victorian Universities Schools Examination Board's Chief Examiner of HSC Music A.
Honours
In 1955 he was awarded an MBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, and this was upgraded to OBE in 1970.
His name is perpetuated in the Logie-Smith Auditorium at Geelong College, the George Logie-Smith Foundation at Scotch College, and a music room at Genazzano FCJ College, where he also taught.