Concert at St Mary’s Church Bairnsdale

One of the feedback comments after our October 2018 concert at St Mary’s was ‘Come back soon.’ We would have been back sooner but we know what happened so here we are, after four years. Clearly, judging by the packed church, the music-lovers of Bairnsdale were very keen to see and hear us again.

After our opening Welsh medley – complete with audience participation – Rotary’s Organiser Darren Goodman delivered the Acknowledgment of Country and welcomed us back. Compère Tony Davies replied that we were delighted to return and then introduced accompanist Lorna Ogilvie and Associate Musical Director Rushan Hewawasam.

The first bracket started with the rhetorical What Would I Do Without My Music, followed by the uplifting For the Beauty of the Earth by John Rutter who, incidentally, was an influence on the American composer Lee Dengler whose Pacem (Peace) the choir then performed for the first time to great acclaim.

In contrasting tone, tenor Drew Hopkins and baritone Roger Bartlett stepped forward to  masterfully duet on Ryan Davies’ bitter lament on a past lover on Ti a dy Ddoniau (You and your skills). Patrons were, however, relieved to hear that they, like the composer, were personally blessed with successful marriages.

For the final hymn bracket the choir came back to sing the stirring Morte Criste (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross), followed by Rhys (Grant Me the Peace) and the classic Tydi a Roddaist (Thou That Gavest) celebrating in poetic Welsh the beauty and complexity of creation.

After interval, multi-talented Rushan led the choir in the fourth language of the afternoon  in the call-and-response Senzenina (What Have We Done?) made famous as a protest song from South African apartheid days. Then came three songs about Welsh people’s nostalgia and love for Wales with Hiraeth (Longing), Ar Lan y Môr (By the Sea) and O Gymru (Oh Wales).

Now it was time for bass Bob Ash from Yarram to offer up Scottish expatriate Eric Bogle’s love of his (and our) adopted country Australia in an impressive a cappella version of Shelter which visibly moved choristers and audience alike.

More outstanding talent from within the choir was next as the morse code machine was set up in Titanic’s radio room with a wonderfully dramatic duo from tenors Tony Hosemans and Geoff Roberts with The Proposal/The Night Was Alive from the 1997 musical.

Compère Tony Davies informed the audience that our three Bendigo branch members who lived in Echuca were understandably all at home waiting and watching the water levels and the choir wished to dedicate the final bracket to them and their families. The emotional Anfonaf Angel (I Will Send an Angel) was followed by the blessing Benedictus from the Sanctus session of the Mass and then Roger came back to lead the choir on You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel.

At this point, Rushan decided the mood needed to be lifted and, after checking that Lorna had the music (no but no matter) he led the choir in the rousing temperance song Rachie which now tends to be sung mostly in pubs. 

Tony invited patrons to thank all the soloists as well as the outstanding music team of Lorna and Rushan and mixer operator Glynis Rose, which was done wholeheartedly and vociferously before we launched into the Welsh National anthem Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau. Rushan coached the audience to start singing Waltzing Matilda against half the choir singing the anthem and the finale finished in a great flourish and spirited clapping. 

The crowd was then intrigued but delighted when the choristers moved forward while reprising Men of Harlech before dividing into four sections and surrounding everybody in their seats. Turning to Rushan, they began intoning the a cappella Sunset Poem from Under Milk Wood. The beauty of the words and the musical power of the harmonies enveloped the whole church in a palpable quiet contemplation of what a very special occasion all of us had shared. After the final hummed notes and a brief moment to collect ourselves it was humbling but marvellous to reach out and just simply shake the hands of everyone touched by the same spell.