The Seniors Concert, a free event the Canberra Rotary Club convenes annually, is something of a highlight of the seniors' social calendar. Rotarians fetch concert-goers from nursing homes and retirement villages for an afternoon of musical favourites.

This year, Mr Slater picked groovy, hip-shaking songs of the 1950s and '60s as his inspiration.

His audience would have been in their 20s and 30s back then.

''It was an era of fun music,'' he said. ''It was very accessible music everybody could sing along.''

Mr Slater and the choir performed hits such as Shake, Rattle and Roll, Green Door, Heartbreak Hotel and plenty of numbers by The Seekers.

Seniors took the opportunity to jump and jive at the sing-along.

''The ones who were able to got up and moved around, jiggled and had a bit of fun,'' Mr Slater said.For Seekers hit Morningtown Ride, the audience formed a human train ''hanging on to each other's hips and jiggling around the hall''.

''It's great to get them clapping, waving and moving,'' Mr Slater said.

''The afternoon's about having fun, not taking ourselves too seriously and making people feel like they can sing too.''

Mr Slater is an ACT nominee for an Australian of the Year award for his efforts in helping country towns set up their own choirs and arranging for singing groups to perform in drought-stricken regions.

The finalists for the awards will be announced in the coming week.