St Columba’s Joint Concert – 15 November 2025 

As a post July 2025 Sri Lankan tour concert, Euphony Choir hosted Victoria Welsh Choir at their rehearsal rooms at St Columba’s Uniting Church, Noble Park for a Saturday afternoon event. The church was full to overflowing as compère Rishanka Pereira welcomed everybody and invited all to stand for the three national anthems – the Australian, the Welsh and the Sri Lankan.

As the audience sat down, co-compère Tony Davies stepped forward and commented on how special it was to start a concert with three different national anthems, each sung in a different language. With the Sri Lankan anthem it was particularly pleasing to see VicWelsh’s longest serving chorister Dev Nallathambiy (originally from Kandy) with 32 years’ service, so proudly singing in English and Sinhala.

Tony took the opportunity to refer to the July tour and asked other tourers to join in congratulating the De Lanerolle Brothers, Rushan and his admin team for organising, over many months, such a comprehensive and logistically difficult trip. This was further complicated by many choristers getting anti-serendipitously sick which necessitated extra work for Dr Rhys Parry, Dr Brenda Greenall and Rushan and his many helpers, organising clinics and visits to hospitals. Everybody was full of praise for the care and attention given to them over the two weeks which spoke volumes about the sheer amount of energy required by somebody like Rushan to keep the ball rolling.

Tony asked the assembly to acknowledge the hard work put in by organisers Aunty Yvonne Senn from Euphony and by VicWelsh’s Uncle Geoff Serpell, giving non-tourers, family and friends to sample a taste of the tour’s repertoire.

The first bracket from VicWelsh was the famous Cwm Rhondda, named after a major  valley in an area of South Wales where, at one time, about 100 coal mines were in operation employing thousands of workers from all over Wales and Britain. The audience showed itself very keen to contribute to the musical afternoon by singing the last chorus a number of times. This was followed by Ar Lan y Mör (By the Seaside) and Rachie, a rousing call for the faithful to action which became a temperance song.  Then the famous American song from the 1700s Amazing Grace which has been recorded by over 1000 different artists.

Rushan then took over from Mary O’Driscoll on the piano to accompany himself singing one of his favourite songs He Will Carry You to much acclaim. Tony came back to announce the next bracket starting off with What Would I Do Without my Music, particularly apposite for choirs like VicWelsh who sing completely from memory.

Tony proposed dedicating the next song Anfonaf Angel (I will Send an Angel) to the tour’s medical team and all the Sri Lankan doctors who looked after the sick on the tour. This was followed by the recovery mode upbeat spiritual Every Time I Feel the Spirit and then the American Civil War anthem, Battle Hymn of the Republic, the choir’s version of which has been seen by more than 180,000 people on YouTube. Rushan encouraged the audience to join in with the final chorus which they did with gusto more than once leading up to the interval.

After the break, Rishanka introduced the Euphony Choir who, firstly, performed a beautiful arrangement of Ave Maria followed by Because He Lives. Then it was one of the favourites from the tour Goodness of God before He is the Rock. Rushan moved to the piano again to accompany a smaller group singing a Sinhalese song Dhatha Dara before the choir reformed to perform Lift Me Up with a solo by Marini. Then they  launched into a spirited ABBA medley with everybody singing along, which then segued into the well-known We Are the World.

As VicWelsh came back onstage to join Euphony, Rishanka outlined the songs in the final bracket. Firstly, it was Robat Arwyn’s Benedictus from the Latin mass, then Rushan’s arrangement of the Sinhalese song Na Na Ne, the chorus of which was confidently sung by VicWelsh. This was followed by When the Saints Go Marching In with plenty of eager audience participation not only in the rehearsal phase but in the final choruses which were repeated with enthusiasm.

The finale was another Rushan arrangement of You’ll Never Walk Alone/Climb Every Mountain which attained the necessary heights and elicited huge applause for its powerful rendition.  

Rishanka thanked the audience for attending and asked them to show their appreciation for Musical Director Rushan and accompanist Mary O’Driscoll which they did most fulsomely. Rushan took the mic to address the assembly thanking everybody who had been involved in the concert’s organisation. He also paid tribute to three retiring VicWelsh choristers – Concert Stage Manager Geoff Roberts, Wardrobe Manager John Blackman and former New Members Officer David Black. This was also the last performance for this concert’s organiser Aunty Vonn who was also retiring. After their combined service had been heart-warmingly applauded there only remained the final chanted farewell with the much-loved Sunset Poem from Under Milk Wood.

Aunty Vonn’s final generous contribution was to invite everybody to make their way to the main hall for well-earned refreshments and a chance for tourers from both choirs to catch up.

Comments

Great performance.

Wonderful presentation – Food for the soul.

Loved the concert.

Excellent afternoon’s enjoyment. Wonderful.

Fantastic to hear both choirs.

Excellent as always.

As usual, wonderful, great harmony.

Absolutely beautiful.

Loved the joint items.

A most enjoyable afternoon, thank you to everyone who worked so hard to organise the concert.