Ballarat Performing Arts Centre – 25 October 2025

The choir’s Ballarat chapter organised the marketing, publicity and sale of tickets for this Saturday afternoon concert at this new venue which was totally filled up by eager patrons on the day. After a delayed start, to shoehorn everyone in, nearly 300 people stood as the choir led the singing of both the Welsh and Australian anthems.

Local chapter leader John White was compère for the day and introduced Musical Director Rushan Hewawasam and accompanist Mary O’Driscoll.

The first bracket of Welsh songs comprised Cwm Rhondda (Rhondda Valley) with the audience eager to sing the final chorus (twice), Ar Lan y Môr (By the Seaside) and the rousing temperance hymn Rachie. The second bracket introduced the third language for the day with Robat Arwyn’s Benedictus (Blessing) from the Latin mass. This was followed by the emotional Anfonaf Angel (I Will Send an Angel) and the well-known Amazing Grace, which many in the centre obviously knew, before a magnificent solo by Rushan, leading the choir with How Great Thou Art, and the now tuned-in congregation repeating the final chorus.

Then an upbeat number as the choir swung into Every Time I Feel the Spirit before Rashan rehearsed the assembly with the chorus to Battle Hymn of the Republic, the choir’s version of which has been seen by over 180,000 people on YouTube. So good was the community singing that the final chorus had to be repeated twice before a well-deserved interval was signalled.

The second half of the concert started with the rhetorical What Would I do Without my Music and then the multilingual African Prayer preceded Y Darlun (The Picture) reflecting the composer’s sense of comfort derived from the constant presence of the famous print of the praying hands. The prayer theme continued with the very sobering Prayer of the Children, visibly affecting everybody in the church.

John then introduced the local U3A Choristers, a mixed choir which also included VicWelsh tenor Mike Maloney, conducted by Mary. Their first song was the iconic and beautiful Ave Maria, followed by a complete change to a full version of the Beatles’

Oh-Bla-Di, Oh-Bla-Da. VicWelsh took over The Beatles theme to connect with their youth, performing a medley consisting of I Wanna Hold Your Hand, Yesterday and Let It Be, with a solo by the multitasking, but still laid back, John White. Topping up the medley, Rushan jumped onto the piano and led the entire assembly into several rousing choruses of Hey Jude, to great applause.

Musically moving on some twenty years, this was followed by Carly Simon’s Let the River Run, the theme tune of the Working Girl movie. Whilst the U3A Choristers were getting into place high up behind what used to be the altar, Rushan urged men in the audience to seriously think about joining the local chapter and to speak to any chorister at the end of the concert. Now knowing the congregation’s musical ability, Rushan ran through with them the final chorus of When the Saints Go Marching In. VicWelsh started off this well-known John Rutter arrangement before the U3A Choristers were joined by enthusiastic patrons for the final chorus which, of course, had to be repeated to everyone’s satisfaction.

The finale was Rushan’s arrangement of You’ll Never Walk Alone combined with Climb Every Mountain with the U3A Choristers singing two verses of the second song from their unique mini-mountain elevation. The impact of the two choirs singing together was so powerful that many patrons rose up from the pews to deliver a well-deserved standing ovation.

Once the acclaim had subsided, all that remained was for VicWelsh choristers to find their way into the two main aisles to farewell the capacity audience with the haunting chant of Sunset Poem from Under Milk Wood. It was the perfect ending to one of the year’s most triumphant concerts. Thank you, Ballarat.

Comments

That was amazing. What a pleasure to be blessed with an afternoon of beautiful music. To have the privilege to listen to Mary on the piano was nothing but spectacular.

Wonderful.

Thank you to the choir for a fabulous afternoon.

Great performance. Well done!

Loved the overall performance. Great choir. Loved the addition of the guest choir, the audience participation and the jokes by the compere!!

Wonderfully uplifting performance. How Great Thou Art an absolute highlight. Thank you very much for such an enjoyable afternoon – a real treat.

The concert was excellent.