"Fanfare to the Victorian Suffragette"' composed by Cathrine Connor played by a brass sextet on Open Day at Parliament House, Spring street, Melbourne conversation 3 and the Art of Suff-Rage had their years works on display.

From those initial meetings Catherine has produced a new piece (in amongst many and conflicting time schedules) below is an extract from her rationale for the piece.

Fanfare To the Victorian Suffragette. For brass sextet.
This piece is to be based on Mona McBurneys work : Northern Ballad commissioned by Lady Northcote in 1907 for the First Australian Exhibition of Women's work. This was a non political event held at the exhibition Building in Melbourne 1 year before suffrage was granted in November 1908 to commemorate the federation of the states.

The exhibition highlighted the artistic and domestic achievements from women of all socio economic backgrounds in Australia including indigenous women and showcased 16,000 individual works, crèche facilities, women's orchestras, brass bands and choirs.

Composer Mona McBurney was the first Australian woman to achieve a Bachelor of Music from Melbourne University in 1896 aged 21. She was the first Australia woman to have her opera (The Dalmatian: composed 1905) performed in public at the Playhouse, Melbourne 25-26 June 1926.
I have taken small melodic fragments from her "Northern Ballad" composition and will transform and rework these into a brass sextet fanfare which I intend to have performed by 6 professional female brass musicians....

... This will be an opening fanfare dedicated to the resolute suffragette engaged in demonstrations, opening herself up to both ridicule and aggression by her opposers.
The piece therefore intends to have an atmosphere of tension. The fanfare to follow this will contrast in mood being dedicated to the "Victorious Woman"

Catherine Connor : compositions: http://sites.google.com/site/catherineconnormusic/Home/compositions