[1] Music was in his family: his mother was a distinguished Elder Conservatorium violinist[2] and singer,[3] and a member of the South Australian Orchestra.
[5] Chinner received his initial musical training from Mrs. Smedley Palmer AMUA (née Ethel Rose Ridings, died 1966, and mother of concert pianist Peggy Palmer),[6] and in piano from Miss A. Hodge, then in 1926 began taking organ lessons from Fred Pilgrim (1885–1942), organist at the Flinders Street Baptist Church for 13 years then at Malvern Methodist Church, where Chinner took his lessons.
In 1934 he was appointed music master at Prince Alfred College, which he served concurrently with his church duties[8] until May 1939 when he resigned, to be replaced by Arthur Brewster Jones.
[9] He also found time to write a few pieces of his own: his A Mood Fantasy was played by Harold Wylde on the Town Hall organ in October 1934.
[15] In the 1950s he made several highly praised appearances as guest conductor in other Australian capital cities: Chinner was involved with Robert Dalley-Scarlett's programme of recordings to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.