Ulumbarra

It was good to be back, after a few years, at the exciting Ulumbarra Theatre in the heart of Bendigo on 29 October for a Rotary fundraiser, starring Bendigo’s own Merlyn Quaife AM.

As we reached the chorus of Cwm Rhondda, the opening number, Faleiry noticed that the audience was in total darkness. The house lights were promptly raised so the choir could see all their faces — and from the response, they were clearly eager to participate. The Bread of Heaven chorus was repeated, and we were off to a rousing start. Ar Lan y Môr followed, then Calon Lân and Gwŷr Harlech, with even more communal singing on the English verse and chorus.

Ballarat chorister and compère John White back-announced the opening set and introduced the music team of Faleiry, Lorna, and Rushan. Then local resident and internationally renowned soprano Merlyn Quaife took the stage, showcasing her magnificent voice with Dido’s Lament from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, followed by two Puccini arias — Si, mi chiamano Mimi from La Bohème and Vissi d’Arte from Tosca. The bracket concluded with a technically brilliant Laughing Song from Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. Sustained applause followed for both soloist and accompanist Lorna Ogilvie.

John introduced the next choir bracket, with Rushan conducting What Would I Do Without My Music, Pacem (featuring a beautifully modulated solo by the multi-tasking John), Y Tangnefeddwyr (The Peacemakers), and St Clement.

However, the calm ambience was quickly shattered by the sharp sound of a police whistle as tenors Geoff Roberts and Tony Hosemans stormed centre stage wearing dodgy kepis. Their comically theatrical performance of The Gendarmes’ Duet was met with hearty laughter from both audience and choir.

From melodrama back to opera, the choir moved into Speed Your Journey, before Rushan rehearsed the audience for the final choruses of When the Saints Go Marching In. The performance was so energetic and joyful, it had to be done twice before the interval was called.

After the break, Merlyn introduced the Rotary/Bendigo Senior Secondary College scholarship winners. First up, Tom Fleming performed a solo guitar piece — Kevin Morby’s Harlem River. Then Sonnie Rose took the stage to sing Beyoncé’s Runnin’ (Lose It All).

As if on cue, Bendigonian Keva (Huw) Lloyd appeared, resplendent in a Welsh rugby shirt, cap, and scarf, to deliver the iconic Max Boyce number Hymns and Arias, recounting the comic tale of Welsh fans at Twickenham. The whole audience joined in the chorus with gusto. With its cheeky reference to a dubious beverage, it was noted later at the bar that bottles of beer were approached with uncharacteristic caution.

Restoring decorum, Merlyn returned to sing two special arrangements by Mark Jones: Imagine (reflecting Rotary’s 2022 theme) and Gershwin’s Summertime. She followed with a tailored medley of love songs — all delivered with her usual spellbinding command and grace.

As the applause subsided, the choir rose once again to express their feelings for their homelands in Paul Jarman’s uniquely commissioned Land of My Song.

Rotary’s local President, Rod Spitty, then took the microphone to thank the choir, the music team, and Merlyn for their major contributions to the concert, with gifts presented in appreciation. Rotary District Governor Ron Payne then spoke about the Rotary Foundation’s mission and, in recognition of her outstanding achievements, presented Merlyn with the prestigious Paul Harris Fellowship — met with thunderous applause.

As a finale, Merlyn joined Rushan and the audience for Waltzing Matilda. Meanwhile, various choir sections cleverly weaved in Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, resulting in a harmonious fusion of the two national songs echoing around the theatre.

All that remained was for the choir to take their leave — marching out to the rousing strains of Men of Harlech.