Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre
We were delighted to be asked to perform at the purpose-built Performance Arts Centre so, after a postponement or two, the Sunday afternoon concert duly became a reality on 13 November.
The capacity audience were very keen to participate with the English words to Men of Harlech once we were on stage and throughout the opening Welsh Medley.
A quartet of Bendigo tenors – Alastair Greenall, Stephen Pepper, Ken McMullan and Ivan Ryall – melodiously sang the first verse of Calon Lân with all tenors humming the beautiful Myfanwy. Associate Rushan Hewawasam and accompanist Lorna Ogilvie combined to replay the Songs of Praises chorus, to make doubly sure that the assembly’s voices were sufficiently tuned up.
Compère Drew Hopkins then announced the first bracket of the rhetorical What Would I Do Without My Music, John Rutter’s elegiac For the Beauty of the Earth and the newly introduced Pacem ( our third language for the day) from the Latin mass.
Drew then deftly switched roles and skilfully duetted with baritone Roger Bartlett on the ex-lovers’ lament Ti a dy Ddoniau (You and your skills). Patrons were, however, relieved to hear that they, like the composer, had left such heartache behind and were both happily married.
The final bracket of hymns consisted of Morte Criste, Rhys, Tydi a Roddaist (Thou That Gavest) and How Great Thou Art with a masterful solo by Rushan.
After interval Drew introduced a very Welsh set with Hiraeth (Longing), Ar Lan y Môr (By the Sea) and O Gymru (Oh Wales).
Swiftly moving backwards 110 years and westwards some 4000 kilometres from the UK, the scene was set for an outstanding bitter-sweet duo from tenors Tony Hosemans and Geoff Roberts with The Proposal/The Night Was Alive from the 1997 musical Titanic, complete with a morse code machine.
More individual talent from the choir was forthcoming with a sensitive solo from tenor Garry Salisbury on the lullaby Si Hei Lwli ‘Mabi, the heart-rending Danny Boy from tenor Ed Hughes and the rollicking Wild Mountain Thyme from the powerful bass voice of Barry McMahon.
Another part of the Mass was captured in contemporary Welsh composer Karl Jenkins’ Benedictus before Rushan dedicated the next song Anfonaf Angel (I Will Send an Angel) to all frontline workers who had protected us during the challenges of Covid. He also invited patrons to use their cameras to record this one song. The music and the words combined to generate a visible emotional impact on the audience and it was acclaimed with loud applause.
Carrying the caring theme further, with You’ll Never Walk Alone from Carousel was a mellifluous solo by the talented Mr Bartlett.
To top out the concert, Rushan coached the audience to sing the unofficial Australian anthem Waltzing Matilda before pitching them against half the choir singing the Welsh official National Anthem Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau and the finale, complete with reprises, finished off a magnificent occasion with a great flourish and spirited clapping.