Buninyong
So successful was last year’s concert with carols, that we were delighted to be invited back again to the acoustically blessed 1860 Uniting Church. At that concert Keva Lloyd, a very new Bendigo branch member, attended his first full concert and here, twelve months on, he is compèring proceedings for the first time. The Rev. Lindell Gibson welcomed the choir before we launched into our opening Welsh number Gwŷr Harlech. Then came Y Tangnefeddwyr (The Peacemakers), an a cappella version of Ar Lan Y Môr and the old favourite Morte Criste.
Thanks to the words being projected on to walls at both ends of the church, choristers and audience alike then sang the first carol Silent Night.
Following this, the accompanist was silent during our lullaby Si Hei Lwli ‘Mabi. The Bette Midler classic The Rose came next followed by the inspirational You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel.
The choir’s chaplain, the Rev. Tom Morgan, spoke about his grandfather and great-grandfather being gold miners in Buninyong before dedicating Working Man to all miners and leading the choir in this very emotive song. So well-known has this paean become that Faleiry had no trouble inviting the congregation to join in with the final choruses.
With everybody singing together, and very accomplished descants coming from the ladies, the church was further filled with the uplifting carol O Come All Ye Faithful.
Immediately after interval we sang the choir’s specially commissioned work Land of my Song with sensitive solos from baritone John Adams and tenor Geoff Roberts. Keva then gave a very informative and up-to-date introduction to the second Paul Jarman composition, Pemulwuy.
The third carol’s words then appeared with the whole assembly singing Good King Wenceslas with men on the second verse and ladies on the third.
The mood then turned somewhat anti-monarchical as we thundered into the spirited medley from Les Misérables featuring lovely solos on I Dreamed a Dream and Bring Him Home by tenor Rushan Hewawasam.
After the sustained applause had died down, Faleiry encouraged everyone in the church to sing Waltzing Matilda while a section of the choir sang the Welsh National Anthem at the same time. Lindell thanked us again before we came off the stage to surround the audience to sing our heartfelt farewells with Sunset Poem.
It was a marvellous way to finish off this special concert – the choir and the congregation were all in good voice, brought together harmonically on the carols and other tunes, all enhanced by the superb sound that only churches of this age and design can deliver.
Audience comments included:
- Excellent – totally enjoyable – Ann