Yamaha honour Australian composer Peter Dodds McCormack

THE COMPOSER of the Australian National Anthem, Peter Dodds McCormack (1835-1916), received a posthumous Yamaha Golden Gospel Award in Canberra recently. McCormack was a prolific songwriter and precentor of the Presbyterian Church. In this role he was responsible for forming church choirs across Australia, often against the very conservative elders of the period. In fact his efforts resulted in a world record when he conducted some 10,000 children and 1,000 teachers at the Raikes Sunday school Centenary in 1880 in Sydney. He was highly considered by many as the father of church choirs in Australia. This is the first time a posthumous award has been made at the Australian Gospel Music Awards. Previous Yamaha Golden Gospel Award winners have included Jimmy Little, Sister Janet Mead and Francine Bell.