Charles Sandys Stuart Shipley Packer (1810–1883), commonly referred to as Charles S. Packer, was an Australian classical music 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 in 1839 on the ship Mangles. On release, he became a successful teacher and performer In 1863, he was convicted of bigamy and sentenced to five years' imprisonment in Darlinghurst Gaol with hard labour.
He was accompanist to the Sydney Choral Society, of which Joseph Massey sen. was conductor, meeting at the Sydney School of Arts, and which performed the Handel oratorios Messiah and Judas Maccabaeus with some success.
Works
1855 City of Sydney Polka
Reminiscence of the garden palace
The crown of thorns : an oratorio
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
References
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