Keats family papers, 1900-1996, being mainly the papers and music manuscripts of Horace Keats

MLMSS 6672

fonds

1900-1996

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Clippings, Photographs, Drawings

146720

4.2 metres of textual material (11 boxes, 13 outsize boxes) - manuscript, typescript, and printed

Horace Stanley Keats (1895-1945) was a solo pianist, accompanist, broadcaster, conductor and composer. He was born in London, the youngest son of Charles William and Mary Keats, and came to Australia in 1914. As a pianist, Keats was considered to be one of the finest accompanists in Australia during the period 1917-1945. He toured with the contralto Ella Caspers and baritone Peter Dawson.
Keats was involved in the early days of Australian radio, working as broadcaster and accompanist for 2FC, 2BL, 2GB and 6WF. He participated in the First Empire Broadcast on 2FC in 1927 and he was also amongst the first to broadcast programs featuring Australian poets, including his own settings of their poems. He was pianist for the 2FC Ltd trio and conducted the first radio orchestra.
Keats began composing in 1933 and wrote music in several genres. His largest output was for voice and piano. As a song-writer, he championed Australian poets such as Kenneth Mackenzie, Hugh McCrae and Christopher Brennan, and was given exclusive rights to publish the poetry of Christopher Brennan during his lifetime by the committee of Brennan's literary executors.
Janet Keats was born in 1900, the daughter of Walterus le Brun Brown and Eugenie Emmeline Hanniford Fletcher. She married Horace in 1918. As a professional singer performing as Barbara Russell, she sang on radio and was much admired for her interpretation of her husband's songs. The couple had three children, Russell, Barbara and Brennan. Russell was killed in action on H.M.A.S. Canberra in 1942. Horace Keats died just three years later, at the age of 50.
Brennan Keats wrote a biography of his father in 1996 and also published several of his father's unpublished songs in the form of facsimiles of the original manuscripts.

Series 01: Horace Keats papers, 1907-1945
Series 02: Horace Keats music manuscripts and associated papers, 1918, 1934-1945
Series 03: Horace Keats printed music, 1935-1946
Series 04: Horace Keats music manuscripts collected, ca.1912-1944
Series 05: Janet Keats papers, 1900-1986
Series 06: Brennan Keats papers, 1980-1996

This collection comprises 6 record series. You may navigate to a more detailed description of each series from this collection record.