Geelong Concert
AWMC Geelong Concert Review, 19/4/2026 from Geelong Entertainment. com
The Power Of Welsh Emotions
The Australian Welsh Male Choir conducted by Tom Buchanan, in concert at All Saints’ Church, Noble St, Newtown. Sunday April 19, 2026.
It’s an acknowledged fact that the rich tones and raw power of a Welsh Male Voice Choir can bring tears to the eyes – as was three times demonstrated at this concert. Neatly, at its beginning, middle and end. In between was a cleverly presented demonstration of the width and variety of this Melbourne-based group’s repertoire, plus some advanced practice of new material to be included in a forthcoming June tour. As a measure of The Australian Welsh Male Choir’s standing, that tour will include a scheduled mass-choir gig at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Bearing all that in mind, it’s fair to say that this was no ordinary Sunday afternoon church concert. It was special from the very first song, which was Shelter, written by Eric Bogle, who is, incidentally, a Scotsman. Eric wrote Shelter in 1977 about his adopted homeland, Australia. Its lyrics were particularly appropriate, given the current ‘Australian Values’ debate thrown up by the current Federal opposition leader. The choir’s spirited delivery was heightened by their MD, conductor and announcer Tom Buchanan’s subtle musical emphasis. Because, on the line ‘…to the homeless and the hungry, may we always open doors, may the restless and the weary find safe harbour on our shores…’ Simon Stone’s piano accompaniment paused and the choir’s unaccompanied harmonies added so much power to the words it induced the first tear-jerking moment. Amid the concert’s opening song!
Following that emotional beginning, and its warm, lengthy applause, came Rhys Jones’s patriotic O Gymru, (Oh Wales!) then Elaine Hagenberg’s O Love, the first of three numbers being learned for the forthcoming June tour. The others were a lost Welsh-language hymn Bydd Myrrh O Ryfeddodau sung in tongue-twisting Welsh and then Emrys Jones’s Morte Criste sung in English complete with its jokey silent-movie accompany insert relished by pianist Simon Stone.
But then the choir quietly filed out to be replaced by the slight figure of guest guitarist Oscar Wang, a year six student at Geelong’s Christian College. The contrast between 37 neatly suited standing men and one small seated student couldn’t have been starker – but both made outstandingly beautiful music. Oscar began by playing the John Williams treatment of Stanley Myers’ Cavatina – the highly popular theme from The Deer Hunter film, which he followed with an immaculate rendition of Roland Dyens’ Tango en Skai before closing his bracket with the complex, elaborate Spanish piece Recuerdos de la Alhambra.
Then Tom and the Choir returned with a bracket to demonstrate their versatility. This began with a lazily swinging jazz version of Gershwin’s They Can’t Take That Away From Me, contrasted by Coldplay’s more contemporary contemplative song of grief Fix You. Then came a surprise, in Bring Him Home, the big showstopping solo from the musical Les Miserables. And, yes, the Choir completed that difficult finishing falsetto note to absolute perfection – and giving the concert its second tearing-up moment. The men then adroitly regained their previous momentum with swinging versions of jazz standards Mack The Knife and Come Fly With Me.
This was followed by guitar virtuoso Oscar’s return with two intricate, delicate pieces in Augustin Mangore’s Vals No 4, which he said was his favourite piece despite its complexity, then Francisco Tarrega’s Capricho Arabe. These drew tumultuous warm applause from the packed church’s audience and set up the choir for its all-Welsh closing bracket.
This began with the rousing Yea O Hyd which translates as ‘We’re Still Here!’ and is aimed squarely at the English monarchy and government, followed by Eric Jones’s Y Tangnefeddwyr – the calm of peacemakers of WWII. Then followed the beautiful love song to Myfanwy, the stirring hymn Gwahoddiad and final song Gwinllan A Roddwyd I’m Gofal, an emotional patriotic number from a quotation that translates as ‘ …my country of Wales is a vineyard given into my keeping, to be handed down to my children and my children’s children as an inheritance for all time – and look, the pigs are rushing in to despoil it!’ But this provocative song didn’t invoke the choir’s final teary moment. That came curing the Choir’s heartfelt delivery of their encore piece I Still Call Australia Home. It meant that with hankies and tissues hastily tucked away the audience gave The Australian Welsh Male Choir its unusual and highly suitable accolade. While all remained seated, the audience continued clapping and applauding long and loud, through several bows, modest gestures of thanks, with the volume actually increasing as the choir slowly, reluctantly filed out, smiling and waving – and kept up that intensity until the last member had disappeared. This meant that when we got to exit the venue, the choir was already outside and thanking us for our reception. It made a fitting end to a delightful concert which ably demonstrated the emotional power invoked by combined Welsh male voices. It also showed that this wonderful force is still potent and effective even when recreated by Australian blokes a very, very long way from the valleys.
- Colin Mockett
Gymanfa Ganu 2026
Gymanfa Ganu (pronounced Gumanva Ganee) is a Welsh festival of hymn singing. All the Welsh choirs and Excelsis were in attendance.
Guest conductor was Robat Arwyn and the soloist was Erin Fflur (a celebrated Welsh mezzo-soprano who has achieved significant success at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, including winning the prestigious David Ellis Memorial Award (Blue Ribbon) in 2025).
The event was held at St. Paul’s Cathedral, cnr, Flinders & Swanston Streets on Saturday 28th February.
A few days later we met at The Kelvin Club for a 'Singing in the Club' afterglow with special guest Robat Arwyn (Welsh musical composer and musical director).
Nine Lessons & Carols
Held on Sunday 7th December, the annual Nine Lessons and Carols service involved all the choirs directed by Tom Buchanan: The Australian Welsh Male Choir, The Mornington Peninsula Welsh Ladies Choir, Excelsis Choir and the Kingswood College Choir.
‘Art & Nibbles’ Social Night
John and Maree Renowden headed up an innovative event held on the evening of Thursday 16th November at the Mornington Community Theatre.
An admission fee entitled participants to quality finger food and drinks, and to inspect, buy or bid via silent auction on the many paintings and other art on display. Around twenty-five choristers, conducted by Jenny Stephenson and accompanied by Janice Noh, sang a bracket of four songs. A huge success that we plan to repeat next year.
Dingley Concert
We performed at Christ Church, Dingley on November 9th.
This was a notable outing, as some of the Albert Hall repertoire for 2026 was now at performance level.
Bydd Myrdd O Ryfeddodau was given a second outing, while O Love and Gwinlann a Roddwyd I’m Gofal were presented to an audience for the first time. Always a nervous time for choristers, so a good solid performance was a considerable relief all round.
Guest Artist for the day was Greg Salter, who brings vast experience with him, ranging from Head Chorister at St Pauls, through to the Rock Opera Tommy, Brigadoon and Les Misérables, as well as TV work. The audience certainly enjoyed his contribution.
Thanks go to our accompanist Dr Janice Noh.
Village Baxter Open Day Concert
The annual Village Baxter Open Day rolled around on Saturday 11th October, and as usual the choir sang two brackets of songs to “pay the rent” and to show residents that some of their fellow residents enjoy showing off!
It was a bit of a nervous occasion this year, since it marked the public debut of Bydd Myrdd O Ryfeddodau, a song listed for the massed choirs event at the Royal Albert Hall, London next year. Most thought it was reasonably well handled, and of course it was mixed with a considerable body of established repertoire.
The choir ran a stall, along with many others, at the Open Day, and it was well patronized.
Mission to Seafarers
We returned to the Melbourne Mission for Seamen on Wednesday 17th September. The heritage listed hall is a fairly intimate venue, and the choir itself, along with the camp followers, made a reasonable turnout.
The always unruffled Dr Janice Noh accompanied, and all present had a very enjoyable time.
Not unnaturally, the City Chapter chaps were much in evidence, and it is great to have all of us singing from the same song sheet, so to speak.
‘World in Union’ Concert with the British & Irish Lions Rugby Choir
Onwards and upwards to the Baptist Church in Collins St Melbourne, another Gothic revival acoustic gem.
Here, on Sunday August 27th, we hosted a combined concert with the British & Irish Lions Rugby Male Choir, conducted on this tour by Ieuan Jones, who must be doing a great deal right to produce the excellent performance we were party to. Both choirs did well - we had a totally full house and they gave us two standing ovations!
The Afterglow was at the Kelvin Club. It was noisy, remarkably positive, and full of choristers who were telling us what a great tour it had been, and how good the rugby had been too. We are informed via 3AW breakfast radio that the eighty or so choristers and their support troops ran the venue out of beer! One for the books!
Last Night of the Proms
A Great Night of Entertainment for the Brits!
Legends of Brass ran its successful Last Night of the Proms Concert on Sunday afternoon 3rd August. This year they were conducted by John Grey.
The Legends were again joined by ourselves and the remarkably well-drilled pipes and drums of the PLC Pipe Band, whose leaders Ben Jones, Jeanne Bao, Emma Cutchie and Jonathan Quay have a remarkable group of young people firing on all cylinders.
We were the Welsh component of the afternoon, and we led the audience in the traditional Land of Hope and Glory and Jerusalem. Compere Robert Dugdale, urged us and the audience on. The Centre, Ivanhoe, is a magnificent Art Deco building. It looks beautiful, is acoustically very good and seats around 600. Everyone left well satisfied after this one.
Sorrento Concert
Celebrating St. John’s 150th Anniversary!
We returned to St John’s Anglican Church, Sorrento, to help them celebrate their 150th Anniversary on Sunday 6th July. The church was full, and the audience pretty enthusiastic. Like many gothic revival buildings, this one has magnificent acoustics, which make it a very enjoyable place to perform
Soloists Ruth McIntosh and Eva Butcher added to the undoubted success of this one. A pretty lavish afternoon tea didn’t hurt either.
We congratulated Damien Higgins and Evan Hardedge on surviving their first full concert as choristers. First of many we hope.
Brick Lane Brewery Bash Sing-a-Long!
The Choir returned to the Brick Lane Brewery in Dandenong South on the first Friday in April. This is the venue where a social get together, a singalong and a flash rehearsal all come together. John Denver, Queen and Neil Diamond provided the singalong material this time, and a comfortably full venue rocked along with Tom Buchanan and Simon Stone. Good fun all round. With thanks also to Brick Lane Brewery for their generous donation of slabs of beer for our raffle.
Pretty good beer, too!
St. David’s Day Gymanfa Ganu at St. Paul’s Cathedral
March 1st is St David’s Day. It works a bit like St Patrick’s Day in that it is at least as much about nationality as it is about religion, though religious observance is important too.
The Melbourne Welsh Church has for a very long time crystalized the essence of the day in Melbourne by running the Gymanfa Ganu, a Welsh church service that comprises very little talk and a great deal of congregational singing. The local Welsh Choirs are on hand to lead the congregation, and to weigh in with a few featured hymns as well.
This year the event filled St Paul’s Cathedral. The choirs concerned were the Australian Welsh (that’s us), Melbourne Welsh and Victoria Welsh.
Tom Buchanan’s excellent Excelsis and the two ladies’ choirs, Geelong and Mornington Peninsula, were also present.
The conductors were our own Tom Buchanan OAM, Jeanette John from Geelong, and Rushan Hewawasam from Victoria Welsh. Faleiry Koczcar OAM, Rushan's predecessor, was also present.
It has been the custom to bring a Welsh conductor to Melbourne to lead the Gymanfa Ganu, along with Welsh Soloists. This year Siŏn Gough, Minister of the Welsh Church, and the conductors present filled the breach more than adequately. This year we were privileged to have the excellent Heulen Cynfal sing for us. She was a Blue Riband winner at the National Eisteddfod in 2023.
As is usual after the Gymanfa, many of the Choir members and quite a few of the congregants joined in an afterglow singing session at Chloe’s bar in Young and Jacksons pub.
A great celebration. We thank the Melbourne Welsh Church for all its hard work.