As a much-demanded vocal coach he taught at his home, his best-known pupils including John McCormack, Margaret Burke Sheridan and James Joyce. He performed the piano accompaniments for McCormack's first gramophone recordings and accompanied him during his 1913–4 Australasian tour (60 performances in three months), during which he also gave organ recitals at the Irish-dominated Catholic cathedrals of Sydney and Melbourne. In 1932, O'Brien received a doctorate honoris causa from the National University of Ireland. Of his two sons, Oliver O'Brien (1922–2001) largely followed in his father's footsteps, as organist and director of the Palestrina Choir, of Our Lady's Choral Society, music teacher at Carysfort College and as teacher in various Dublin schools. Vincent's other son Colum O'Brien was organist in the Pro-Cathedral. Before his work for the Palestrina Choir, O'Brien's musical interests were very broad, culminating in 1893 in the composition of the full-scale opera "Hester". As a church music composer, he followed Cecilian ideals, with a number of hymns, motets and other choral works. He also composed a number of songs for voice and piano, with "The Fairy Tree" (1930) being a particular favourite of John McCormack's. Opera  Choral  Orchestral  Songs  Historical recordings (gramophone re-issues on CD)  Modern recordings