ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher Patrick
The catalyst for cellist
Christopher Patrick’s diverse musical career was a concert
given by his school orchestra in Westminster Abbey, England.
The Church of England Grammar School chamber orchestra
performed in many of the UK’s most historic public schools
and cathedrals during its December 1980 tour, which was the
first of its kind by an Australian school.
A graduate of the Queensland
Conservatorium in Brisbane, Christopher has performed on
numerous Australian pop and classical recordings, as well as
in live performances with artists such as the Electric Light
Orchestra, Rod Stewart and Dionne Warwick. Since 1985,
Christopher has been a cellist with the Queensland Pops
Orchestra, which has toured to the Sydney Opera House and
Melbourne Concert Hall in addition to its ever-popular
Brisbane subscription series. The QPO regularly accompanies
Opera Australia’s touring musical theatre productions, and
in 2007 played for ‘The Southern Hemispheric Premiere’ tour
of Eric Idle and John Du Prez’s
NOT THE MESSIAH,
a comic oratorio inspired by Monty Python’s
LIFE OF BRIAN.
Christopher is one of three
musical siblings, all professional musicians who play
strings. Together with brother Cameron and sister Fiona he
established a family chamber ensemble, The Patrick String
Quartet, in 1982.
The Patrick String Quartet
has supported pop legends Michael Jackson and Barry Manilow,
made live radio broadcasts, shared the stage with Australian
entertainers Barry Humphries, The Seekers and jazz
impresarios Renee Geyer and James Morrison in variety shows,
and performed live with guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel.
Christopher has also arranged
soundtrack themes and popular repertoire for chamber
ensembles and symphony orchestra. As a founding member of
the former flute, harp and cello trio ‘chanson’ (2001-04),
he composed the title track for the group’s semi-classical
album, WHITE
CHOCOLATE, released in Australia in 2003. The album
also features an arrangement of ABBA’s Like An Angel Passing
Through My Room.
Alongside the four members of
ABBA, Christopher cites Oscar-winning film score composer
John Barry and singer/songwriter Judith Durham – Australia’s
first international pop star as lead vocalist with The
Seekers – as artists whose music has been a pivotal force in
his creative endeavours. |
