Keith Binns

Keith began his formal performance career in years 5 and 6, singing in the combined schools choirs Choral Concerts in the Sydney Town Hall, under the baton of Terry Hunt. His formal singing training began at the Wollongong Conservatorium and afterwards privately, taking him to Eighth grade Singing in both the AMEB and Trinity College Exams. Studies were curtailed with the start of his teaching career. He travelled to London in 1980, and trained privately with the English baritone John Hargreaves. The lessons were held in the Upper Circle Bar of the Saddlers Wells Theatre. His voice improved so much that he was chosen to be part of the original London cast of the New York Shakespeare Production of The Pirates Of Penzance at Drury Lane Theatre in Covent Garden. This included a Royal Variety Performance on a bill with Howard Keel, Ethel Merman and Frankie Howard.

Keith returned to Australia at the end of 1982 and began teaching again, leaving in 1986 to once again do Pirates, this time with the Victorian State Opera. He then continued working for the Australian Opera as a First Bass in the Extra Chorus, performing in such operas as Turandot, Meistersinger, Lohengrin and Aida. At the same time he was singing in a barbershop quartet in clubs and shopping centres and doing his own one man pre-school shows in child care centres. He was a full time singer/entertainer for around ten years.

Keith and his family moved to Goulburn in 1996. He divides his time between teaching keyboard to children, casual teaching in both primary and secondary schools, teaching singing here at the GRC and performing his pre-school show in child care centres. His primary teaching, particularly, always includes some singing and he often gets requests from Year 11 students for songs he sang them in Year 4. He recently contributed a children’s song to the Academy Award winning film Harvey Krumpet.