“Indispensable” is the word that comes to mind when one thinks of Oliver Raymond, about to step down after 29 years at the helm of Art Song Canberra.

On Sunday, at Wesley Music Centre, there’ll be a grand Tribute to Oliver from the music community, with an appearance by former Art Song stalwart soprano Louise Page, one of the most popular Canberra performers of all time.

The question of indispensability is one that’s been plaguing Raymond ever since he set about a year or so ago trying to find somebody to replace him as a president.

For not only do people expect you to continue doing it, but most feel disinclined to make the effort to help.

Happily, help arrived in the form of vocal-music lover Roland Peelman, who told him: “I’ll find you a chair” – and he did.

“Roland has effectively rescued it,” Raymond says.

His wife Helen will also be retiring as long-time secretary.

Enter new chair Ditta Zizi, opera-trained, a founding member of Stopera chamber-opera group who also holds a bachelor and master’s degrees in music and has a graduate diploma in applied corporate governance both from the ANU.

Raymond, who, over his long career was by day a defence scientist with a PhD from University of York and a serious bass singer by night, didn’t invent Art Song. The honour goes to singer Eleanor Houston, who was also in on the foundation of the Canberra International Music Festival.

What is now Art Song Canberra started out as the ACT Lieder Society in 1976.

After being posted to Canberra, Raymond had joined the society in 1988, then the committee in 1989, becoming president in 1995, 29 years ago.

He has a broad range of interest in the arts and is a judge for the CAT Awards, but he takes his singing very seriously, so much so that from 1987 to 1990 he studied with legendary baritone, Ronald Maconaghie as an external student at the School of Music.

Here he’s been president of the Oriana Chorale and choirmaster at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Manuka and will continue singing with Oriana Chorale and Canberra Choral Society and to work with U3A’s Harmonia Monday singers “until I get thrown out”.

So why does he love art song or “Lieder” so much?

“Many songs are really little mini-operas,” he says, says. “They can really touch the emotions in a short while, and some particular singers move me to tears.”

He has high praise for singers Christina Wilson, Sonia Anfiloff and SarahLouise Owens, but there’s no getting away from it, Louise Page is the one who touches him the most.

“Her beauty, and the beauty of her personality come across in the music and in her emotions,” he says.

Tribute to Oliver Raymond, Wesley Music Centre, Forrest, February 25.