Let Us All Sing Concert at Wendouree Arts Centre

Celebrating the first ever joint Welsh/Sri Lankan concert, Victoria Welsh and ConChord Choirs powerfully combined on the opening number with Rushan Hewawasam conducting Let Us All Sing, which was the name of not only Sunday’s concert but also of ConChord’s recent triumphant tour of Sri Lanka.

Co-compère John White introduced Lorna Ogilvie – the accompanist for both choirs – and Faleiry Koczkar, VicWelsh’s Musical Director. Our first bracket comprised the Welsh tunes Blaenwern (Love Divine) and Ar Lan Y Môr (By the Seaside) followed by Working Man featuring a dramatic bass solo by Barry McMahon which was hugely enjoyed by the audience. 

Before Battle Hymn of the Republic, Faleiry rehearsed patrons in preparation for joining in with the final choruses – which they duly did to great applause.

Co-compère Rayesh Gunasekara next introduced the famous De Lanerolle Brothers from Sri Lanka. Combining seamlessly, their first duet was Leoncavallo’s Mattinata, made famous by Pavarotti. Next was the iconic Ave Maria with tenor Rohan and bass Ishan showcasing their magnificent articulation, phrasing and superb breath control on the final note, the quality of which elicited great appreciation from the audience as well as from all the choristers.

ConChord Choir, under the baton of Rushan Hewawasam, then presented a very varied bracket of songs – first, the liturgical Three Contemporary Latin Settings with sensitive violin accompaniment by Brendan Chung. Secondly, Rushan conducted, while simultaneously leading the call and response on the African protest song Senzenina in a stirring performance. Thirdly, Fix You, a very modern song by Coldplay, led by four male choristers plus violin and trumpet (Gemma Webb). Fourthly, the well-loved Bridge Over Troubled Water with the De Lanerolle Brothers.

Ishan remained on stage and sang the mighty O Isis and Osiris by Mozart, followed by Rohan on the romantic Silent Worship by Handel.

Both brothers then led both choirs into a wonderful rendition of Benedictus followed by When The Saints Go Marching In, complete with prior audience rehearsal and subsequent performance, to finish the first half in a suitably buoyant tone.

For the second half, the choirs changed position so that ConChord were now behind VicWelsh as Faleiry then conducted both ensembles in the challenging Speed Your Journey from Nabucco.

Rayesh introduced ConChord’s bracket, starting off with a lively medley from the shows  with touching solos by Teruni De Alwis on A Whole New World  and I Had A Dream and culminating in We Are the Champions. 

Rushan further showed his versatility by playing piano and conducting a Sri Lankan medley in Sinhalese and Tamil and being joined by the brothers for the final tune. They then combined with the choir on the famous John Farnham number You’re The Voice along with the entire assembly singing and clapping along.

Ishan then commanded centre stage as he moved into the old standard Ol’ Man River. With superb breath control and perfectly pitched notes, this was a basso profundo at his peak with an effortless virtuoso performance which quite rightly brought the audience and both choirs to their feet in a wonderful standing ovation.

Equally affecting was their perfectly modulated duet Watchman – What of the Night by Sargeant, a brilliant performance by this hugely talented fraternal combination.

John White made a pitch for any men in the theatre to join VicWelsh’s Ballarat chapter then the brothers returned to lead the choir in You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel.

Dvořák’s Goin’ Home tugged at the heartstrings before the familiar lines of the hymn Cwm Rhondda echoed with patrons eagerly singing the final chorus Songs of Praises. From ‘treading the verge of Jordan’ to the measured tread of Ed Hughes and Bob Ash next appearing as French policemen to entertain everyone in the comic Gendarmes’ Duet, complete with baguettes instead of batons. As the laughter subsided, John explained the story of Pemulwuy before Rushan conducted both choirs in this eponymous song by Paul Jarman. Back came Rohan and Ishan to lead everybody in a modern arrangement of Waltzing Matilda which stupendously built up to the unprecedented finale of its final choruses being sung at the same time as the Sri Lankan anthem Namo Namo Matha and the Welsh Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau – an absolute triumph and a beautifully uplifting finish to this multicultural and multilingual concert.

Rohan and Ishan then joined hands with Faleiry, Rushan and Lorna at front of stage as the whole theatre gave them and the two choirs a very well-deserved standing ovation.