However, the rising 90-year-old faced a new challenge this year. He had to sing the New Zealand national anthem – both in English and Maori, as is the accepted practice. Hugh had to follow this up with the Australian and British anthems – but he's a dab hand at them.

He didn’t have that much time to rehearse the NZ anthem.

“I had a month to prepare,’’ he said.

Not surprisingly Maori is a foreign tongue to Hugh. However, he’s been performing at civic functions for most of his life while as a younger man he was no stranger to the stage – he came out of retirement to appear in My Fair Lady, Taree Arts Council’s first production at the Manning Entertainment Centre in 1988.

So like an old pro, Hugh sought out some advice.

“Morgan Stewart, the chief executive at Club Taree, is a New Zealander,’’ Hugh explained.

“So I had a run through with him about a month ago.’’

God Bless New Zealand starts thus: E Ihowā Atua, O ngā iwi mātou rā, Āta whakarangona; Me aroha noa; Kia hua ko te pai; Kia tau tō atawhai; Manaakitia mai Aotearoa.

“It was a bit of a challenge,’’ Hugh confided with a smile.

“So I wrote the lyrics out phonetically. I had them with me when I was singing, just in case.’’

He concedes he had more nerves than usual before the ceremony. However, it didn’t show. A tenor with a baritone range, Hugh made it through the Maori version without a hitch before heading into more familiar territory. He followed with Advance Australia Fair and finished with God Save the Queen.

Anzac Day 2018 provided another first for Hugh.

“It's the first time I've had to sing three anthems in a row,’’ he said.

“Usually it’s just the two.

“It’s good to see the New Zealand anthem added to our Anzac Day ceremony,’’ he added.

His performance impressed one visitor, here with her husband who is in the Light Horse Association.

“What a beautiful, powerful voice,’’ she told the Times.