Charles Sandys Stuart Shipley Packer (1810–1883), commonly referred to as Charles S. Packer, was an Australian

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

composer, born in Reading, Berkshire, England. He was a graduate of The Royal Academy of Music in London. Packer was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to penal transportation to

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

in 1839 on the ship ''Mangles.'' On release, he became a successful teacher and performer In 1863, he was convicted of

bigamy In a culture where only monogamous relationships are legally recognized, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their mar ...

and sentenced to five years' imprisonment in

Darlinghurst Gaol The Darlinghurst Gaol is a former Australian prison located in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Darlinghurst, New South Wales. The site is bordered by Darlinghurst Road, Burton and Forbes streets, with entrances on Forbes and Burton Streets. The ...

with hard labour. He was accompanist to the Sydney Choral Society, of which Joseph Massey was conductor, meeting at the Sydney School of Arts, and which performed the Handel oratorios

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

and

Judas Maccabaeus Judas Maccabaeus or Maccabeus ( ), also known as Judah Maccabee (), was a Jewish priest (''kohen'') and a son of the priest Mattathias. He led the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire (167–160 BCE). The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah ("Ded ...

with some success. On 30 November 1871, as organist to the York Street Wesleyan Church, he shared the programme with Frederick Morley at the opening of the Bourke Street Wesleyan Church organ. He died in poverty in 1883.

Works

* 1855 City of Sydney Polka * Reminiscence of the garden palace * The crown of thorns : an oratorio — "his greatest work" * The royal Charlie polka * The song of the angels * Exchange ball schottische * The captive's child : ballad * Arm! arm! : Australian patriotic song) * Little Nell : a ballad * My Johnny was a shoemaker * Lily Lee (arrangement) * Queen of the west : new ballad (orchestration) * Australia hail! Australian national hymn

Recordings

* 1999 Classical Music Of Colonial Australia - Polka

Family

The organist

Frederick Augustus Packer Frederick Augustus Gow Packer (1839 – 1 August 1902), generally referred to as F. A. Packer but also Frederick Gow Packer, was an Australian composer of Anglican spiritual and romantic music. History Packer was born in Reading, Berkshire, of a ...

was a nephew.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Packer, Charles Sandys 1810 births 1883 deaths Australian conductors (music) Australian male composers Australian composers English emigrants to colonial Australia Australian poets Alumni of the Royal College of Music 19th-century male musicians British people convicted of bigamy Prisoners and detainees of New South Wales