David Hobson with Vic Welsh

The excitement was palpable on Saturday 18 June when a capacity audience made its way to the splendid Melbourne Recital Centre for a gala night to hear the ever-popular David Hobson. Our usual accompanist Lorna Ogilvie was stricken with the flu but we were lucky to secure the services of the very able and experienced Jodie Lockyer.

As well as showcasing his considerable talents and range in several languages in his extensive solo brackets, David joined with the choir on several numbers.

In the first half, he led the choir in a rousing rendition of Cwm Rhondda (Bread of Heaven) and enraptured the audience with a wonderfully sensitive interpretation of the lullaby Suo Gân, accompanied by Faleiry on harp. She also accompanied him on Dafydd y Garreg Wen (David of the White Rock) and on She moved through the Fair.

In the second half he gave a very poignant interpretation of Goin’ Home, from Dvorak’s From The New World, and led a tremendously animated finale of Cherchez La Femme from The Merry Widow, complete with the dinner-suited choristers waving colourful champagne glasses around. It was a wonderful finish to a show which confirmed David’s many talents and winning way with the audience.

By the time it finished, everybody was on cloud nine and looking forward to the next time. Judging by the comments afterwards in the bar, the concert was one of the best we had ever staged and we were very pleased to discover patrons new to David as well as to us.