This fall, versatile David Clenny, singer, teacher, composer and pianist, celebrates the 50th anniversary of his operatic debut, as Timothy in Lee Hoiby's "Beatrice" (1959), after Maurice Maeterlinck's play (in which Sarah Bernhardt played Soeur Béatrice in New York in 1911). David marked his milestone, on October 30, with a beautiful gala concert at Trinity Lutheran Church, on the Upper West Side, as a benefit for Trinity Place Shelter for homeless LGBT youth. The company for the concert included, in addition to many of David's customary colleagues, a very distinguished guest in the person of Lucine Amara, the veteran and still active soprano, who, next year, observes the 60th anniversary of her own debut at the Metropolitan Opera.

Following a graceful Trio KV364 of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a breath of fresh air to start us off with, played by Clenny at the piano, with violinist Elizabeth Friedman and cellist Zexun Shen, an ever pure-voiced Amara, an accomplished Antonia, here assuming the role of Giulietta, collaborated with Clenny, at his best as Nicklausse, on a dulcet barcarolle, "Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour," from Jacques Offenbach's "Les Contes d'Hoffmann," with the ensemble of soloists doing the chorus part and Horace Beasley at the piano. Near the end of the evening, in a haunting "La Vergine degli Angeli," from Giuseppe Verdi's "La Forza del Destino," Amara fluently floated the phrases of Leonora's prayer above a sonorous male ensemble, with Clenny at the keyboard, and as an encore, offered an impassioned account of Ernesto DeCurtis' "Non ti scordar di me." Forget her? Never!

Supported by Clenny, eliciting an orchestra's worth of sound from the upright, Lynn Spurgat as Norma, Sara Henry as Adalgisa, and Dorian Balis as Pollione delivered a rousing bel canto finale of Act One of Vincenzo Bellini's "Norma," with most so-called 'standard cuts' opened. The two sopranos created a particular frisson when they joined voices in the cadenza at the end of "Adalgisa. Alma, costanza ... Ah! sì fa core, e abbraciami," and vibrant Henry and Balis did likewise when they sang together during the trio, "Oh! di qual sei tu vittima." Spurgat's "Tremi tu? E per chi?" and "Vanne, sì; mi lascia, indegno" were fittingly fiery and she interpolated a formidable high D near the end. I rather hoped that all three singers would go for the D, because I know they can, but Henry and Balis were gracious and left the high note for the protagonist alone.

David Zimmerman and Robert Wilber, as Don Alvaro and Don Carlo, then Rodolfo and Marcello, blended voices for stirring renditions of "Solenne in quest'ora," from "Forza," and "O Mimì, tu più non torni," from Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohème," accompanied by Clenny.

Shen and Clenny played the latter's lyrical new "Nocturne for an Angel," which had touches of melancholy, but ultimately soothed, and Friedman and Clenny played an exquisite "Méditation," from Jules Massenet's opera "Thaïs."

Two popular Verdi ensembles, with Clenny taking the mezzo-soprano part, completed the program. Assisted by Beasley, Henry, Zimmerman, Gregg Lauterbach and Doug Smith were Oscar, Gustavo/Riccardo, and the conspirators to Clenny's Ulrica in a fine, lilting quintet, "E' scherzo od è follia," from "Un Ballo in Maschera"-countertenors have often portrayed the sorceress in Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas," but it's novel to hear a man play the seer here-and Henry, Zimmerman and Wilber, as Gilda, the Duke of Mantua, and the eponymous jester, harmonized mellifluously with his Maddalena, sung from the piano, in the quartet "Bella figlia dell'amore," from "Rigoletto."

David, may you continue making music for us for many years to come.