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| David Reedy at his piano. |
by Helen Musa
David Reedy, one of the most influential figures in the local opera scene, died in a Canberra aged-care facility on July 19.
Reedy, had in 2011 with his late wife Margot (who predeceased him in February), formed the Canberra Opera Workshop, which eventually morphed into the National Opera.
I know a little more about Reedy than most, as we both grew up in Forbes in the central West, where he was the town’s most famous singer.
Reedy was a Marist Brother at the time, but came under the influence of singing teacher (also my music teacher) Max Constance, who spotted the brilliance of his light tenor voice and who, incidentally, also spotted the tenor voice of the late actor-director Stephen Pike when he was singing in a church choir.
Reedy also developed acting skills and was in a play, The Pigeon With A Silver Foot, directed by my mother, which toured western NSW.
Determining upon a musical focus, Reedy followed Constance to Canberra, where he came under the influence of famous opera coach David Parker and his wife Marie Van Hove, who ran the Canberra School of Music Opera Workshop (later the ANU Opera Workshop) throughout the ’80s.
CityNews music writer Tony Magee reports that Reedy was a soloist in Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea, Handel’s Acis and Galatea, The Bartered Bride by Smetana and other works, as well as concert performances.
“David was always fun to work with and always made an impressive entrance and performance with his huge bel canto tenor voice,” Magee says.
On moving to Canberra permanently in 1987, I saw Reedy in performances at the ANU Arts centre directed by Paul Thom and was astonished to hear, not what Magee heard but the same light voice that I had enjoyed when I was a teenager.
Momentarily a restaurateur, Reedy worked for a time in the public service, but became embroiled in a whistleblowing situation and retired to cultivate roses and to pursue his own career as vocal teacher.
Both before and after founding Canberra Opera Workshop, (the acronym COW was a source of delighted amusement to him) he was a mentor to many young singers.
Former general manager of the National Opera Stephanie McAllister, who once sang Gilda to his Rigoletto, says: “David was a skilled teacher of the bel canto singing technique and was passionate about supporting singers to succeed. For me, personally, he was the best teacher I had through my career.”
Reedy’s excitement at founding an opera company was palpable and when he received a bad review in CityNews for COW’s opening production, The Elixir of Love, he rushed into CityNews to expound his views to an astonished editor.
Bold, eccentric and game, while directing The Magic Flute in the new Lyneham High School auditorium, he decided to undertake a bass role although it was not his register and ran around town trying to get help in devising a serpent for the opening scene.
Passionate about all aspects of opera, he would walk out of productions at Sydney Opera House if he didn’t think they were up to scratch.
He progressively handed over COW (later Canberra Opera Inc) management to a younger generation so that, with the advent of the National Opera, he had already taken a backseat, pursuing his music quietly with Margot and his beloved Samick grand piano.
He is mourned by several generations of singers in Canberra.
David Reedy’s funeral will be held in the Chapel of Norwood Park Crematorium, Sandford Street, Mitchell, 11am, July 30.
First published at Canberra City News, July 23, 2024
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