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Hunters Hill Local News |
14 July 2010
TO THE POINT with Peter Egan
To The POINT
With
Peter Egan
CHAMPAGNE CORKS will be popping on Sunday Afternoon July 25 when renowned baritone Geoffrey Chard AM celebrates his 80 birthday in Sixty Years of Song.
He will be assisted by long-time associate artists and colleagues, the pianist and conductor Andrew Greene who will accompany Geoffrey at the piano, and prima donna, Joan Carden AO, OBE and primo uomo Robert Gard OBE, who will join him in conversation on their long careers.
A long-time resident of Hunters Hill, Geoffrey remains very busy as President of the Sydney Savage Club as well as President of Hunters Hill Music.
He has enjoyed a long and distinguished opera and concert career both in Australia and overseas.
Based in London between 1961-1985 he performed at Covent Garden, Glyndebourne, Aldeburgh, Edinburgh and London festivals, and the Welsh National Opera, as well as being a principal baritone with the English National Opera for some 15 years where he gained a reputation as an outstanding actor/singer specialising in contemporary roles, many of which were written principally for him.
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IN ADDITION his contribution to the Australian musical image abroad was made through his membership as committee member, secretary and treasurer for the entire period of his UK sojourn of the Australian Musical Association, and for two years he was a member of the vocal teaching staff of The Royal Academy of Music.
His commitment in this direction was reflected in his association with the NSW Conservatorium of Music on his return and membership of the Advisory Board of Opera Foundation.
Geoffrey Chard’s outstanding career took him all over Europe where he worked with some of the most distinguished composers of the day. He was awarded an AM in the Australia Day Honours in 1988 and has also been the recipient of several Green Room awards for his opera performances.
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WE LOOK forward to celebrating with Geoffrey and hearing about some of the great memories of an amazing career of one of Australia’s leading singers.
Hunters Hill Music is in the middle of another vintage year (this is our 66th season) of spectacular performances.
The variety and quality we present we feel sure has played a large part in growing our audience.
We are really so pleased that the committee’s work is rewarded by high attendance at all our concerts.
The committee is completely voluntary which means that we organise concerts to share our love of music with the community. With over 200 subscribers we can continue to present high calibre artists at a modest ticket price.
Having people like Yvonne Kenny and David Hobson perform for us sets the benchmark rather high. So please keep supporting us.
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STILL TO come this year, the queen of song, Dame Nellie Melba will be making her only appearance in Sydney in August 29. By all accounts “a memorable presentation”.
Something else “unmissable” is the spectacular duo of Simon Tedeschi (piano) and Ian Cooper, “the maestro of the bow” (violin) ... infectious, endearing, amazing ... you will be left wanting more. Set aside the encounter for Sunday October 3.
And, always spectacular is the SBS Youth Orchestra who have been performing for us annually since 1996. Join us on November 28 for some orchestral fireworks.
* PETER EGAN OAM is Director of Music Hunters Hill Music.
Courtesy of TWT
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