Antill, John (1904-1986)

Also known as
Antill, John
Antill, John Henry (1904-1986)
Field of activity
composer; conductor; broadcaster; music adjudicator; The Order of the British Empire - Officer (Civil); The Order of St Michael and St George - Companion; clarinettist; music conductor; radio director; tenor; violinist
Libraries Australia
http://nla.gov.au/anbd.aut-an36385073
NLA Persistent Identifier
http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-625034

Biographies

ANTILL, JOHN HENRY (1904-1986), musician, composer and broadcaster, was born on 8 April 1904 at Ashfield, Sydney, second child of English-born parents John Henry Antill, boilermaker, and his wife Marianne Elizabeth, née Baker. John was educated at St Andrew’s Cathedral Choir School, Sydney, where his musical training began, then at Trinity Grammar School, Summer Hill. At the age of 16, he was apprenticed to the New South Wales Government Railways as a mechanical draftsman. One of his tasks was to help design a multi-toned steam whistle for the C-36 class locomotive.

View the full record at Australian Dictionary of Biography

John Antill received his early musical training at St. Andrew's Cathedral Choir School. In 1920 he joined the NSW Government Railways as an apprenticed mechanical draughtsman, but left there in 1925 to become a full-time student at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music, where he studied with Alfred Hill. From 1932 to 1934 he toured with the J.C. Williamson Imperial Opera Company as a tenor and rehearsal conductor with a repertoire of 18 operas. In 1936 he became the assistant Music Editor with the Australian Broadcasting Commission in Sydney, becoming Supervisor of Music in 1947, and in 1949 the ABC's Federal Music Editor, a position he held until his retirement in 1968. During his period with the ABC he was a valued adjudicator for the ABC's annual concerto and vocal competitions. John Antill's compositions were mainly for the theatre (ballet and opera), orchestra, voice and choir. He also composed many scores for documentary films. His ballet Snowy was the first Australian ballet to be televised in Australia. In 1971 he was awarded the OBE for services to music. In 1972 he was invited to Suva by the Government of Fiji to prepare performances for the first South Pacific Festival of Arts. Antill's position in Australian music is assured through his most famous work, Corroboree, which has been widely performed, recorded and broadcast. It is a watershed work in Australian composition and marked the beginning of a new phase for Australian composition. Sir Eugene Goossens first conducted Corroboree in 1946 and it caused a sensation as a concert suite. Originally conceived as a ballet, it was finally produced by the National Ballet in 1950, with choreography by Rex Reid and decor by William Constable. Antill was first stimulated by Aboriginal music when he attended in 1913 a real corroboree - an Aboriginal ritual dance ceremony - at La Perouse, an area traditionally settled by Aboriginals, on Botany Bay. In the following years he made continual research on the subject of Aboriginal music and collected many recordings, many on Edison cylinders. After having assimilated and gestated this material, Antill eventually produced a shimmering, evocative and propulsive score (published by Boosey and Hawkes). Another major orchestral score is Symphony on a City (1959), commissioned by the City of Newcastle in New South Wales.

Related people and organisations

Australian Dictionary of Biography

National Library of Australia

Resources for John Antill

Resources by John Antill (73)

  1. John Antill
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Video : 1975-1990 ]
    At 10 libraries
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 28.206)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 28.206)

  2. Papers of John Antill
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Unpublished : 1872-1987 ]
    At National Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 20.917)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 20.917)

  3. Five songs of happiness from the psalms : for high voice, piano, oboe (optional) / by John Antill
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Printed music : 1953 ]
    At 4 libraries
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 17.974)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 17.974)

  4. Corroboree : symphonic ballet / by John Antill
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Printed music : 1956-1990 ]
    At 15 libraries
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 15.117)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 15.117)

  5. John Antill interviewed by Hazel de Berg for the Hazel de Berg collection
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Sound : 1963 ]
    At National Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 13.983)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 13.983)

  6. Five Australian lyrics / John Antill ; derived from tribal legends by Harvey Allen
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Printed music : 1953 ]
    At 12 libraries
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 9.561)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 9.561)

  7. Ballet season at the aphitheatre Gunnamatta Park Cronulla : Antill's "Corroboree" : G'day Digger : Song of Hagar
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Poster, chart, other : 1970 ]
    At National Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 8.513)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 8.513)

  8. Corroboree : symphonic ballet / by John Antill
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Sound : 1977 ]
    At 12 libraries
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 7.954)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 7.954)

  9. Corroboree : An outback overture / John Antill
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Sound : 2008 ]
    At 11 libraries
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 7.94)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 7.94)

  10. Momentous occasion overture ; Paean to the spirit of man ; Corroboree / John Antill
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Sound : 1975 ]
    At 9 libraries
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 7.848)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 7.848)

More...

Resources about John Antill (24)

  1. John Antill
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Video : 1975-1990 ]
    At 10 libraries
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 28.439)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 28.439)

  2. Gentle genius, a life of John Antill / Beth Dean and Victor Carell
    Dean, Beth, 1918-2012
    [ Book : 1987 ]
    At 40 libraries
    Gentle genius, a life of John Antill / Beth Dean and Victor Carell
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 22.657)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 22.657)

  3. Papers of John Antill
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Unpublished : 1872-1987 ]
    At National Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 20.932)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 20.932)

  4. [Biographical cuttings on John Antill, composer, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]
    [ Published : 1900-1990 ]
    At National Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 17.454)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 17.454)

  5. Five songs of happiness from the psalms : for high voice, piano, oboe (optional) / by John Antill
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Printed music : 1953 ]
    At 4 libraries
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 17.369)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 17.369)

  6. John Antill and the Corroboree manuscript / Axel Poignant
    Poignant, Axel, 1906-1986
    [ Photograph : 1956 ]
    At National Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 14.798)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 14.798)

  7. John Antill interviewed by Hazel de Berg for the Hazel de Berg collection
    Antill, John, 1904-1986
    [ Sound : 1963 ]
    At National Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 14.1)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 14.1)

  8. John Antill, Australian composer / narrated by Paul McClie
    McClie, Paul
    [ Sound : 1977 ]
    At UQ Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 11.094)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 11.094)

  9. Uncommon men / John Hetherington ; drawings by Louis Kahan
    Hetherington, John, 1907-1974
    [ Book : 1965 ]
    At 49 libraries
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 10.891)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 10.891)

  10. John Antill collection of photographs
    [ Photograph : 1950 ]
    At National Library
    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 10.816)

    This resource is very relevant to your query (score: 10.816)

More...

No user comments for this person

Add a comment


Show comments and reviews from Amazon users

Possibly related

Digitised newspapers and more

Searching...

Minimise

Diaries, letters, archives

Searching...

Minimise

Archived websites (1996 – now)

Searching...

Minimise

Pictures, photos, objects

Searching...

Minimise

Books

Searching...

Minimise

Music, sound and video

Searching...

Minimise

People and organisations

Searching...

Minimise

Journals, articles and data sets

Searching...

Minimise

Maps

Searching...

Minimise

Lists

Searching...

Minimise
  1. Corroboree [Dance work made to the score of John Antill] (1950 - )
    Corroboree [Dance work made to the score of John Antill] (1950 - )
    Created by NLAdance, 37 items.

    Composer John Antill completed his monumental music score, Corroboree, in the mid 1940s. Antill based the piece on Aboriginal rhythms written down on visits to Aboriginal communities at La...

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.053)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.053)

  2. John Benton Wild
    John Benton Wild
    Created by WildColonialGirl, 47 items.

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.007)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.007)

  3. Music resources theme - Australian Indigenous music - Western interpretations of Aboriginal music
    Music resources theme - Australian Indigenous music - Western interpretations of Aboriginal music
    Created by NLAmusic, 19 items.

    European colonists witnessed the dramatic public spectacles of Aboriginal ceremonies and social entertainments, and composers such as Isaac Nathan attempted to imitate the sounds they heard. In the 19...

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.002)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.002)

  1. Antill, John K.
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.115)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.115)

  2. Antill, John Macquarie (1866-1937)
    ... ANTILL, JOHN MACQUARIE (1866-1937), soldier, was born on 26 January 1866 at ...
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.042)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.042)

  3. Antill, H. C., (Henry Colden) (1779-1852)
    ... from England to America in 1680. His father, John Antill, a major in the New Jersey ...
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.032)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.032)

  1. Website: Australia dancing
    www.australiadancing.org
    Matching pages:
    View 269 matching archived pages
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.212)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.212)

  2. Website: Mura gadi
    www.nla.gov.au
    Matching pages:
    • Mura Gadi - 9/6/2012
    • ... Search] [Search by region] Displaying 2 records from your search on Name : 'antill, john henry (1904-1986...
    View 36 matching archived pages
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.082)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.082)

  3. Website: National Library of Australia staff papers
    www.nla.gov.au
    Matching pages:
    View 22 matching archived pages
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.037)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.037)

  1. John Antill and the Corroboree manu...
    Poignant, Axel,...
    [ Photograph : 1956 ]
  2. [Portrait of John Antill of Sydney,...
    Australian News...
    [ Photograph : 1958 ]
    [Portrait of John Antill of Sydney, composer of the orchestral ballet suite "Corroboree", based on ceremonial dances of Australian Aborigines] Australian News and Information Bureau
  3. Portrait of John Antill, composer
    Thompson, Charl...
    [ Photograph : 1950-1962 ]
  4. [Portrait of John Antill and Dr Eug...
    Australian Info...
    [ Photograph : 1950 ]
    [Portrait of John Antill and Dr Eugene and Mrs Goossens] [Australian Information Service]
  5. John Antill, seated at a piano hand...
    Poignant, Axel,...
    [ Photograph : 1956 ]
  6. Sir Charles Moses, [left] John Anti...
    Poignant, Axel,...
    [ Photograph : 1956 ]
  1. [Biographical cuttings on John Macquarie Antill, soldier, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]
    [ Published : 1900-1990 ]
    At National Library
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.258)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.258)

  2. [Biographical cuttings on John Kenneth Antill, psychologist, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]
    [ Published : 1900-1990 ]
    At National Library
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.258)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.258)

  3. [Antill, John (singer/composer) : programs and related material collected by the National Library of Australia]
    [ Published : 1900 ]
    At National Library
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.063)

    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.063)

  1. Atlas of ancient Egypt / by John Baines and Jaromír Malék
    Baines, John, 1946-
    [ Book, Map : 1980-1991 ]
    Languages: English, Undetermined
    At 77 libraries
    Atlas of ancient Egypt / by John Baines and Jaromír Malék
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.103)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.103)

  2. Principles of anatomy and physiology / Gerard J. Tortora, Sandra Reynolds Grabowski
    Tortora, Gerard J
    [ Book, Map, Audio book : 1975-2012 ]
    Read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
    View online
    At 215 libraries
    Principles of anatomy and physiology / Gerard J. Tortora, Sandra Reynolds Grabowski
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.016)

    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.016)

  3. A picture of the nation : the statistician's report on the 2006 census / Australian Bureau of Statistics
    Australian Bureau of Statistics
    [ Book, Map, Article : 2000-2009 ]
    View online
    At 98 libraries
    A picture of the nation : the statistician's report on the 2006 census / Australian Bureau of Statistics
    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.01)

    This resource may only be vaguely related to your query: matching terms may only have been found in the full text contents of the resource (score: 0.01)

  1. Corroboree : symphonic ballet / by John Antill
    Antill, 1904-1986
    [ Printed music : 1956 ]
    At 9 libraries
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.996)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.996)

  2. Corroboree suite / by John Antill
    Antill, John
    [ Printed music : 1953 ]
    At 2 libraries
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.441)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.441)

  3. John Antill / Produced for the Australia Council by Keith Salvat
    Antill, John
    [ Video : 1975-1990 ]
    At University of Sydney
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.281)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.281)

  4. Corroboree : symphonic ballet / by John Antill
    Antill, John
    [ Printed music : 1953-1956 ]
    At Sounds Australian
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.227)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.227)

  1. The annotated Alice : Alice's adventures in Wonderland & Through the looking glass / by Lewis Carroll ; illustrated by John Tenniel ; with an introduction and notes by Martin Gardner
    Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898
    [ Book : 1933-2010 ]
    Languages: English, Manx, Bengali, [3 others]
    Read online at Open Library/Internet Archive
    View online
    At 70 libraries
    The annotated Alice : Alice's adventures in Wonderland & Through the looking glass / by Lewis Carroll ; illustrated by John Tenniel ; with an introduction and notes by Martin Gardner
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.91)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 0.91)

  2. Threepenny novel / Bertolt Brecht ; translated by Desmond I. Vesey ; verses translated by Christopher Isherwood
    Brecht, Bertolt, 1898-1956
    [ Book : 1949-2005 ]
    Languages: English, German, Turkish, Greek, Modern (1453- )
    At 51 libraries
    Threepenny novel / Bertolt Brecht ; translated by Desmond I. Vesey ; verses translated by Christopher Isherwood
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.692)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.692)

  3. The emancipist : an historical drama in three acts / by John Macquarie Antill and his daughter Rose Antill de Warren
    Antill, John Macquarie, 1866-1937
    [ Book : 1936 ]
    At 40 libraries
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.553)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.553)

  4. Civil engineering construction / James M. Antill, Paul W.S. Ryan
    Antill, James M. (James Macquarie), 1912-
    [ Book : 1957-1988 ]
    At 65 libraries
    Civil engineering construction / James M. Antill, Paul W.S. Ryan
    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.394)

    This resource may be of limited relevance to your query (score: 0.394)

  1. JOHN ANTILL TO LECTURE
    The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Tuesday 10 August 1954 p 8 Article
    ... JOHN ANTILL TO LECTURE -« Mr. John Antill will give a free lunch-time lecture-one of a series, "Meet the Orchestra"-at tra"-at 1.10 p.m. to-morrow at the Public Library, Mac- quarie Street.. The title of his lecture (sponsored by the Arts Coun :il of Australia) is "Writing." ... 46 words
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.351)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.351)

  2. JOHN ANTILL'S AUSTRALIAN BALLET "CORROBOREE"
    Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954) Thursday 31 August 1950 p 10 Article Illustrated
    ... JOHN ANTILL'S AUSTRALIAN BALLET "CORROBOREE" An offering is brought in during a scene featuring the kangaroo men. John Antill, the composer oí "Corroboree." conduct* the orchestra during a dress rehearsal, When she tried io smoke a cigarette during a break in rehear£als. Margaret Scott (right), ... 70 words
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.347)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.347)

  3. AUSTRALIAN COMPOSER JOHN ANTILL IN LONDON
    Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1885 - 1954) Wednesday 30 October 1946 p 1 Article Illustrated
    ... AUSTRALIAN COMPOSER JOHN ANTILL IN LONDON COMPOSER John Antill (third from left) reached London In time to hear his ballet mile 'Corroboree' performed at the Albert Hall a week ago. Above, he is ... performance finance of his work,-Airmail pheto. phcto. COMPOSER John Antill (third from left) ... 144 words
    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.157)

    This resource is likely to be relevant to your query (score: 1.157)

  1. John Antill at 80
    Murdoch, James
    APRA
    [ Article : 1984 ]
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.231)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.231)

  2. Adolescents and road safety : seat belts and bicycle and skateboard safety helmets / by John Antill
    Antill, John K
    [ Article : 1990-1994 ]
    At 7 libraries
    Adolescents and road safety : seat belts and bicycle and skateboard safety helmets / by John Antill
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.23)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.23)

  3. John Antill (b.1904)
    Brown, Patricia
    Australian Composition in the Twentieth Century
    [ Sound, Article : 1978 ]
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.21)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.21)

  4. John Antill and his film music
    McCarthy, James
    Australasian Sound Archive
    [ Article : 2010 ]
    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.176)

    This resource may have relevance to your query (score: 0.176)