Choir heads off to Albert Hall

By Kath Gannaway
THEY’VE wowed audiences at the Healesville Memorial Hall and at Warburton. They’ve performed at the Melbourne Arts Centre, Karralyka Theatre, and Blackwood Hall.
Now, the Melbourne Welsh Male Choir is set to perform at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
A number of Yarra Valley choristers are among the 70-strong choir heading to Europe for what choir member Henry Verhoeven has described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
On 18 October, 850 male choristers will be singing at a sell-out performance by 18 Welsh male choirs garnered from around the world.
Apart from internationally known Welsh and English choirs, one chosen Welsh choir from Hong Kong, Slovenia, New Zealand, and Australia will be performing at the Royal Albert Hall.
The 98-strong Melbourne entourage leaves Melbourne on 4 October. “After a period of R & R in Dubai we will perform four concerts while touring Wales plus one other in Weybridge, Surrey, all with the musical collaboration of local Welsh choirs,” Mr Verhoeven said.
“The concerts will be under the baton of the internationally renowned and British icon Alwyn Humphreys MBE, the choir’s patron,” he said.
Mr Verhoeven said the performances would be an opportunity for the choir to showcase its Australian and international repertoire and to highlight a number of musical pieces written by the choir’s patron.
The choir’s Royal Albert repertoire consists of 19 musical pieces, and as the entire performance is without written music, the task of committing all music to memory has involved the choir in about 200 hours of rehearsal. Anyone interested in joining the choir can contact Phil Tomlinson on 9800 3889.