About Us
Melbourne and Beyond
Victoria Welsh Choir undertakes about fifteen performances a year in Melbourne and beyond, including:
- The choir’s annual concert in Melbourne during the Welsh community’s celebrations of St David’s Day (1st March), sometimes under the baton of a guest conductor from Wales.
- Another major concert in Melbourne with well-known soloists such as David Hobson, Silvie Paladino and Marina Prior.
- Concerts performed at local venues from Deniliquin to Capel Sound, and from Aireys Inlet to Bairnsdale, as well as throughout Melbourne, often to raise funds for community and church projects.
- Singing in Cymanfaoedd Ganu hymn festivals at Welsh churches in and near Melbourne.
- Participation in events conducted by the RSL, such as the Remembrance Day service in Springvale.
- Corporate, sporting or private engagements such as weddings.
VicWelsh Rehearsals
Ymarferiadau VicWelsh
Victoria Welsh Choir is based in Blackburn, Bendigo and Ballarat – a round trip of 400 kilometres. Is this a record?
Initial learning of our parts (and last-minute revision!) can be done at home, using specially prepared recordings in which each part is audibly highlighted, and which can be played on a computer or hand-held device. This enables us to use precious time on rehearsal nights to focus on putting the four parts together with the right balance and adding the final polish.
Melbourne
Rehearsals: Wednesdays, 7:30-9:30pm
📍 St Edward’s Anglican Church, Edinburgh Road, Blackburn South
The Melbourne branch is currently welcoming new members! If you love music or have always wanted to sing, we’d love to meet you.
📞 For enquiries contact:
Andrew on 0421 686 636
Please note: Breaks during summer and winter holidays.
Bendigo
Rehearsals: Thursdays, 6:30-9:00pm
📍 St Luke’s Church Hall, 494 Napier Street, White Hills
Our Bendigo group brings voices together in harmony and friendship. Come along to sing, learn, and connect in a relaxed and inclusive setting.
📞 For enquiries contact:
Keva on 0418 579 998
Please note: Breaks during summer and winter holidays.
Ballarat
Rehearsals: Mondays, 6:30pm -9.30pm
📍 St Peter & Paul Church Hall, Fisken Street, Buninyong
The Ballarat branch is currently welcoming new members! If you love music or have always wanted to sing, we’d love to meet you.
📞 For enquiries contact,
John on 0402 808 299
Please note: Breaks during summer and winter holidays.
VicWelsh’s Music
Cerddoriaeth VicWelsh
At the heart of Victoria Welsh Male Choir’s repertoire – a quarter of it or so – is of course the music which has earned Wales the title “Land of Song”, such as:
- Stirring hymns that raise the roof in churches from Ballarat to Bairnsdale
- Poignant ballads of young (and not-so-young) love – almost always unrequited!
- Age-old folk songs.
- Most of these we sing in the language of heaven – Cymraeg.
- The rest of our range encompasses various genres, including music from other Celtic nations, such as Ireland, Scotland and Cornwall
- Songs from a variety of other countries and cultures, including Australian songs and American gospel songs
- Choruses from opera, light opera, stage and film
- Popular songs from the two world wars and the periods before, between and after them
As a male voice choir we sing these songs in TTBB (Tenor 1, Tenor 2, Baritone and Bass) arrangements, in which the four parts are much more closely blended than for mixed choirs. We almost invariably sing from memory. Our concerts also include contributions from soloists – who may be professionals, choir members or performers from the place we are visiting – all performed with polish and humour where appropriate.