By Caroline Smith
For pipe organist Dominic Perissinotto, promoting the qualities of his chosen instrument is a worthy cause, one which is growing in strength through concert series, Pipe Organ Plus, hosted at Fremantle’s St Patrick’s Basilica.
The program – which is in its 16th year – recently showcased Jean Sibelius’ seminal work, Finlandia, with Mr Perissinotto performing alongside the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia Brass, conducted by Dr Alan Lourens.
In addition to this piece – arranged for the organ and brass band – the concert on 31 July included the works of Paul Dukas (La Peri), Vasily Kalinnikov (Symphony 1), Sigfrid Karg-Elert (Kaleidoscope in E Minor), Iver Kleive and Knut Reiersruds (Nåde, arranged by Frode Rydlands), Cesar Franck (Chorale No 3 in A Minor), and Arthur Wills (Symphonic Suite – the Fenlands).
Mr Perissinotto said that placing the music of a pipe organ alongside that of a brass band allowed for a wonderful contrast, and brought new life to these compositions.
“I’ve played parts of Sibelius’ Finlandia before, but I’ve never done it with a brass band,” he said.
“I love combining the organ with other instruments, and that’s what we did with this concert.”
The pipe organ in question – which Mr Perissinotto says is the biggest in Western Australia – brings its own unique features, and can convey great emotion through various musical pieces, Mr Perissinotto said.
“It has around 7000 pipes – I haven’t managed to count them all, but it’s a phenomenal instrument,” he said.
“It can be quiet and gentle, but also really loud and exhilarating, and it has a vast array of sounds.”
The instrument is based at St Patrick’s Basilica, where Mr Perissinotto has been a musical director for 18 years, an experience which he says has helped him promote the talents of fellow musicians in the Archdiocese.
“I think the most important thing for me is bringing in different musicians through things like the Cantor Program,” he said.
“It’s important to give those young people a musical outlet.
“We have young singers come from the University of Western Australia and the WA Academy of Performing Arts at Edith Cowan University – the two main music-focused universities in the state, and some of our singers have gone on to become quite big names overseas.”
Looking at his own musical journey, Mr Perissinotto said it had all started with his father’s role as a self-taught church organist in Italy.
“One day the local priest just asked, who would like to play the organ, and he said yes,” he said.
“He came to Australia in the 1950s and settled in Victoria, and met my mum. He continued to play in Church, and the family bought him an electronic organ to play at home.
“I was about eleven when I asked for music lessons, and I continued to play all the way through high school – in years 10 or 11, I decided I wanted to do this as a career.”
After beginning his tertiary education, Mr Perissinotto gained a Fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, which allowed him to study at London’s Royal College of Music.
During his stay in London, he took on the role of Organ Scholar at Westminster Catholic Cathedral and gave recitals at St Paul’s and Westminster Cathedrals, Westminster Abbey and Oxford Town Hall.
Pipe Organ Plus has hosted three concerts so far this year – Passion on 20 March, Nemesis on 29 May, and Finlandia on 31 July – and will continue with Magnificat on 18 September, and Epilogue on 6 November. Tickets and information are available through www.pipeorganplus.com.