Rediscovered choral work receives European premiere

The rediscovery of Saint Cecilia's Day in our archives by George Loughlin’s son, Michael, has brought to light a large-scale 126-page musical manuscript. Written as part of George’s studies at Durham in the 1940s, its emergence has since led to performances in Australia and a recent European premiere in the UK. 

An Anglo-Australian musical journey  

George emigrated to Australia later in life, where the revival of Saint Cecilia’s Day began. Its first modern performance took place in 2023 in Darwin, where Michael conducted a reduced version with his choir. A year later, a double choir, orchestra, and soloists performed the 25-minute work in Melbourne. 

The piece reached another milestone this year with a concert at St Paul's Hall, University of Huddersfield, on Friday 4 September. Australian and British musicians came together to mark the work’s first performance outside Australia and its European premiere in the UK. 

Interest is now growing in George’s wider body of work, with a recent UK performance of a second piece, Introduction and Allegro, at Oxford's Holywell Music Room.

Watch the world premiere of Saint Cecilia's Day in Melbourne, Australia

A global Durham connection 

The latest UK performance has opened a new chapter for Saint Cecilia's Day. Its European premiere piqued the interest of fellow Durham alumnus Tom Newall (Music, St John’s College, 2005-08), former conductor of Durham University Orchestral Society and now Director of Choral Programmes at the University of Manchester. 

Following discussions with Michael, a performance of the complete Saint Cecilia’s Day is planned for November 2027. Further collaborations bringing together musicians from the UK and Australia are also being explored to continue the global musical connections that were such an important part of George’s life and career.  

From archive to audience 

The performances were made possible after Michael discovered the handwritten manuscript among his father's papers while conducting research in our archives. Its preservation allowed the score to be prepared for performers, transforming a long-unperformed work into one that is once again being played, recorded, and celebrated.  

George’s manuscript sits within the University’s wider archival collections, which preserve material documenting generations of students, staff and communities. Musical holdings include scores, concert programmes and composers’ working papers, alongside documents, photographs, artefacts and rare printed material. 

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Find out more  

• Find out more about our international alumni network.
• Explore our Archives and Special Collections.
• Our Department of Music is ranked second in the UK in the Guardian University Guide, and The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027. Visit our Music webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.  

Main image: Musicians performing Saint Cecilia's Day for its European and UK premiere on Friday 4 September in St Paul's Hall, University of Huddersfield. Image courtesy of Michael Loughlin and Fiona Wake.

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