Glenn Amer and Melvyn Morrow celebrate the rich heritage of Arthur Sullivan's inspirational church music at at St Saviour's Cathedral on Saturday [December 10].
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"The concert is based on the sacred music of Arthur Sullivan who was famous for writing Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas," Mr Amer said.
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"However, he had a long and illustrious career as a serious composer as well."
In the second half of the 19th century Arthur Sullivan was a prolific composer of popular hymns.
"This is what we're focusing on," Mr Amer said.
"We came across the idea because Gilbert and Sullivan is still immensely popular. Because of popular culture everybody knows it. We decided to focus on something that no body else was doing."
Script writer Melvyn Morrow is a devotee of Gilbert and Sullivan.
"He wrote for Opera Australia, which is where I first knew of his name," Mr Amer said.
"Melvyn is normally behind the scenes but he will be on the stage for once. He came up with the idea to do this for me, and he will present the script."
The duo have worked together for some 15 years.
"We've done lots of different shows and various themed shows," Mr Amer said.
"There's a very beautiful and famous song called The Lost Chord by Sullivan and Melvyn had heard me sing it, which is what gave him the idea to do more of that sort of music in one performance."
Mr Amer is a Goulburn resident and the former head of piano at the Hume Conservatorium.
"I was there for about three years [and] during the lockdowns when things were all online the director of music asked me to come in and record some music for their online services," he said.
To be performing in front of a live audience again is "wonderful" to Mr Amer.
He said it was also an opportunity to get audience feedback.
"Although I was very, very lucky during the lockdowns," Mr Amer said.
"I did quite a few online concerts for the Melbourne Digital Concert Hall, which was a subscription series. And I'm an organist for a church at Cremorne in Sydney, which is a very big church with a lot of serious music so we were broadcasting every week. It was basically business as usual just without people."
Mr Amer was born in Sydney and studied piano with a local teacher as a child.
"I went to the Sydney Conservatorium High School and when I was 12 I was invited to go to London," he said.
"That was incredible and incredible experience. When I came back I finished my schooling at the Conservatorium and I've been working ever since."
Of being a working musician in Australia Mr Amer said he was one of the "lucky ones".
"I'm always busy because I'm versatile," he said.
"I might be singing or I might be playing and singing, or I might conduct. I basically do everything that the music business has. And I arrange music too, which keeps me busy when I'm not performing."
In Sacred Sullivan Mr Amer hopes to "entertain and not educate" the audience.
"That's always my philosophy and I just hope they enjoy the performance," he said.
"People will hear some familiar tunes and also some unfamiliar ones, which I hope they find interesting. We weave the story of Sullivan's life around the music that we've chosen."
Sally Foy
Regional reporter based in the Southern Highlands. I am also a mother and advocate for children with a disability and epilepsy.
Regional reporter based in the Southern Highlands. I am also a mother and advocate for children with a disability and epilepsy.
