The Frederick Septimus Kelly Project

The Frederick Septimus Kelly Project was released in 2023 by the independent label Prima Facie to commemorate the works of the Australian-born composer, pianist, and Olympic rower who died during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. The project serves as an archival and interpretative effort to preserve Kelly’s musical legacy, which was largely overshadowed by his tragic death and the broader trauma of the First World War. By gathering various chamber and instrumental pieces, the collection seeks to contextualize his stylistic evolution within the late Romantic and early modernist movements.

The release features performances by Sadie Harrison and Alex Wilson, among others, who worked to curate and record pieces that reflect Kelly’s dual identity as an elite athlete and a refined composer. The design and assembly of the project were driven by a desire to offer a cohesive listening experience of works that might otherwise remain scattered in historical archives. Critics and listeners have received the project as a significant scholarly contribution, praised for its technical clarity and for bringing much-needed attention to a figure who bridged the gap between Edwardian musical traditions and the onset of modern European conflict.