Brotherly love

At last year’s inaugural Light The Night charity concert, there was barely a dry eye in the house when the Rennie brothers, Shaun and Adam, had their way with a song.

The power ballad, What You Are To Me, was written especially for the occasion to pay tribute to their other brother, Matt, who was fighting leukaemia.

A year later, Matt Rennie is still battling the disease so Shaun, the star of Mamma Mia and Fiddler On The Roof, has lined up a powerhouse of talents to perform at the second Light The Night leukaemia charity concert, to be held on 13 November.

This year’s theme is siblings, with a number of showbiz families performing together.

There was something very powerful about that song last year, Shaun Rennie says.

It was so perfect for what we wanted to say. At that point, Matt was so sick, so it was very suitable for Adam and me to sing it.

David Campbell will sing with his sisters and brother, Titanic‘s Alexander Lewis with his brother Ben from Priscilla, former pop diva Jenny Morris and her brother, and Phil Scott with his brother.

Also on the bill is TV icon Don Lane, Dusty diva Tamsin Carroll, Hedwig‘s iOTA, Kane Alexander and Peter Cousens. The concert will be hosted by Maggie Kirkpatrick.

Last year’s concert raised $40,000, and Shaun says the goal for this year is $50,000, which goes to the Arrow Bone Marrow Transplant Foundation.

Two and a half years after Matt Rennie’s initial diagnosis, the leukaemia is now in remission in his blood and bone marrow, but a new series of tumours has appeared in his body in recent months.

Despite the ongoing battles, Shaun says he is amazed by his brother’s resilience.

Matt still fights every day to stay alive and has been in and out of hospital, Shaun says.

Matt is a mechanic and a big burly straight boy. At the end of last year’s concert, he came up to me in the foyer, hugged me and whispered, -˜Bloody brilliant, mate.’ That said it all for me.

Light The Night is on Monday 13 November at 7:30pm at the City Recital Hall, Angel Place. Bookings on 8256 2222 or at the City Recital Hall website.