Canu – Victoria Welsh Choir and Adelaide Sound Connection

The first joint concert of our South Australia tour was on Friday 7 September at Concordia College, Highgate

Guest baritone Andrew Crispe spoke about both choirs before Yvonne Twining individually introduced Sound Connection’s opening bracket of Mamma Mia, What a Wonderful World and Sweet Dreams, all in beautiful a cappella harmony and coordinated movements to the music.

VicWelsh opened their bracket with the anthemic Men of Harlech in Welsh and English. Compere Tony Davies then introduced Faleiry and Lorna and the next two songs, What Would I Do Without My Music and Yvory (Tomorrow) augmented by sensitive accompanying recorder from Merle Hopman.

Guest soprano Katrina MacKenzie took the stage to deliver stunning performances of Quando m’en vo’ from La Boheme, Una Donna a quindici anni from Cosi fan Tutte and Chacun le sait from La Fille du Regiment.

Back came the Sound Connection with two more popular songs Let It Go from Frozen and Take a Chance on Me. 

Vic Welsh then sang the iconic Cwm Rhondda (Guide me O Thou Great Redeemer) with patrons happy to join in with the final choruses. Bass Bob Ash then introduced and powerfully sang the solo of Working Man, with the final words reverberating around the auditorium to huge applause.

The ladies came back on stage for the first of two combined numbers. Two women duetted on the call and response African song Senzenina with both choirs powering to the emotional finale. Swapping conductors, both choirs continued the African theme with the climactic Dry Your Tears, Afrika.

After interval, it was VicWelsh’s turn to show that they could also sing a Cappella on the lullaby Si Hei Lwli ‘Mabi before Tony set the historical background for the Paul Jarman song about Pemulwuy.

Then it was time to hear from the distinguished baritone Andrew Crispe who entertainingly presented his bracket of songs – World on a String, When Words Fail from Shrek the Musical and the challenging but brilliantly sung Soliloquy from Carousel.

Sound Connection came back with shimmering silver scarves over their smart black ensembles to launch into another of their well-coordinated productions of You Can’t Stop the Beat from Hairspray and the Eric Bogle favourite Shelter.

Tony Davies set the scene for VicWelsh’s medley from Les Miserables with finely-tuned solos from Rushan Hewawasam on I Dreamed a Dream and Bring Him Home. After general acclaim, Faleiry addressed the audience to say that the Welsh National Anthem had been requested so VicWelsh sang the last few bars of Waltzing Matilda before leading audience and ladies alike in continuing Matilda while a section of VicWelsh segued into Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. Sound Connection returned for their final bracket The Climb and the beautifully executed You’ve Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story.

Yvonne and Tony thanked all the sponsors and everyone who had worked so hard over several months to make the joint concert possible before both choirs gloriously combined on the John Rutter arrangement of When the Saints Go Marching In with the thoroughly entertained and enthusiastic audience joining in on the final chorus.

Given the disparate styles of the two prodigiously talented choirs, the joint concert was an absolute triumph.