Music Master

On November 18^th 1929 the Concordia choral class and the orchestra staged a concert in the Adelaide Town Hall. The opening item was the orchestral selection entitled ‘Concordia’. This was conducted by the composer and singing master Hugh King who also played a group of three piano solos which were ‘appreciatively received.’

‘Captain King’, as he was known, became the college singing master in 1927. He built up a number of choirs, conducted the orchestra, and was a popular teacher known for his enthusiasm, energy and good humour.
As a result of injuries suffered in the army during World War I, Captain King has lost three fingers. (This statistic is from the Brown and Gold magazine, while the history of Bethlehem Lutheran Church states that only one finger was missing!) His wrist was also partly disabled. Yet in spite of these handicaps, Captain King was a skilled pianist, having devised a completely new system of fingering. What is more, the loss of a leg and adapting to a wooden replacement did not prevent him from playing the organ.
In January 1933, while on holidays in Brisbane, he died after a short illness at the age of 39.