It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing is the Canberra Symphony Orchestra's mantra for their next Matinee Magic concert. They will be backing two vocalists, Rod Gilbert and Jacqui Hamilton in Divas and Crooners, a concert with a touch of Las Vegas.

Gilbert - most recently seen in Canberra in La Clique in the Spiegeltent last year - says, "What wer'e doing is celebrating the great songs of the divas and crooners from the'20s,'30s,'40s,'50s and'60s. "

Usually, Gilbert says, he performs such material "in smaller venues, with smaller groups - rarely the size of a symphony orchestra" so this is quite an opportunity and his first time performing with the CSO.

He'll be singing repertoire made famous by stars such as Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin including Come Fly With Me, Fly Me to the Moon, and Mack the Knife.

Joining him is Jacqui Hamilton, whose solo repertoire will range from songs sung by Edith Piaf (La Vie en Rose) to Antonio Carlos Jobim (Dindi) to Ella Fitzgerald (Nice Work If You Can Get It) and a number she says is "one of my favourites songs in the world", Smile (music by Charlie Chaplin).

Hamilton says, "We'll mix it up a bit."

As well as solo sets they will team up for a series of duets including That Old Black Magic, done by various artists including Louis Prima and Keely Smith, as well as the slightly dubious Baby, It's Cold Outside, taking inspiration from Seth MacFarlane and Sara Bareilles's version.

Hamilton says she has something of a diva background - and it's certainly diverse. She studied a jazz degree at the Victorian College of the arts but discovered had one significant limitation.

"I found out I can't scat."

She was more suited to singing songs straight and did so successfully.

"I got to work with some amazing people like Joe Chindamo and Mark Fitzgerald."

She also sang with an ABBA tribute act in Sydney and says, "I had such a great time."

The CSO's timpanist and orchestra and operations manager. Andrew Heron discussed with her the possibility of working together in a pops concert.

"That's when I thought of Rod."

They'd known and performed with each other for several years so it seemed a logical choice.

Gilbert has been performing live for more than 25 years, starting at the age of 16 in a pub ("they had no idea how old I was").

He studied a music degree at Box Hill Institute in Melbourne, where he is based, and, and as a singer and drummer, formed the four-piece swing band The Shuffle Club in 1999. They've performed in jazz, arts and cabaret festivals throughout Australia, Japan and Britain and he has also performed with The Syncopators throughout Europe.

Gilbert also plays regularly in the the piano-trio, Overproof, and fronts big bands at corporate events and festivals with shows including The Bobby Darin Story and more recently, A Fine Romance.

Marc Taddei will be guest conductor of this concert. He has experience across many different music genres including classical, opera, ballet, and film and has previously worked with the CSO as well as conducting orchestras in New Zealand, the US, and Australia.