I grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney, and 2BL – which in those days was the equivalent of ABC Classic – was always playing. Everyone in my father’s family was musical. My father and his brothers had beautiful voices and my aunt, my father’s younger sister, was a professional jazz singer. Dad was a baritone, and everywhere we went, he would be asked to sing.

We often went to musicals and we loved Gilbert & Sullivan. We had a very communist upbringing on one side of the family, so you had to be across the Australian musical Reedy River about the 1891 Australian shearers’ strike and the need to share. I think I still know all the songs from that and all the Gilbert & Sullivan songs.

Maggie Beer.

Maggie Beer. Photo supplied.

Music was always an important part of life. That love is so entrenched in me that I couldn’t have a day where music wasn’t part of it. In the morning, as soon as I’ve switched on the coffee machine, I turn on ABC Classic. Mind you, I have a huge collection of music as well. I’ve...