Uniting Church Ballarat

On Sunday 14th October we returned to the Uniting Church in Lydiard St, Ballarat, where we have fond memories of our previous visits in 2008 and 2010.

The concert started off with a bracket of Welsh favourites and the opportunity for the audience to contribute to the singing with Cwm Rhondda. They also hugely enjoyed getting into the swing of things with a new arrangement of When the Saints Go Marching In.

Bendigo chorister Rob Hopman made a fine debut as compère, assisted by Drew Hopkins.

We also performed our other two new World Choir items – Our Cities Face the Sea and Pemulwuy. Soloists were Barry McMahon in Stout-hearted Men and Graeme Sanderson in Working Man, both basses receiving warm applause.

After interval the choir presented another new tune Yr Utgorn (The Trumpet) but this time without a trumpet. In response to a request from the audience and as a further tribute to one of our Bendigo choristers who passed away last week, the choir led the audience in The Lord’s My Shepherd sung to the tune of Crimond.

Tenor Drew Hopkins enjoyed himself with Roger Bartlett and others in Cherchez La Femme, thankfully managing to escape any claims of misogyny. Versatile Drew was also in great form in the 60s medley with Little Deuce Coupe and Roger added more nostalgia for our lost youth in Ferry ‘Cross the Mersey. He later went back even further in time, sensitively combining with Jonathan Melland in the special arrangement of Waltzing Matilda which proved to be a fitting finale

With a Sunset Poem farewell we exited to great applause and were then treated to an excellent afternoon tea. Another wonderful Sunday afternoon concert in a beautiful church.