Spaced out, but tuned in

Wollongong’s Welsh Choir welcomes new members, writes its president, Paul Sharrad

The Wollongong Welsh Choir is coming up to its 30th birthday. It has sung on hillsides, in churches, aged care homes, and halls across the Illawarra and the state. There have been interstate concerts and ones with massed choirs in the Opera House. We look to do all this again this year and beyond, and invite new singers to join us.

Our first concert this year will be a celebration of Wales’ patron saint, David, on March 1st at St David’s Anglican church, Roxburgh Avenue, Thirroul at 7.30pm.

The choir began with all the Welsh who migrated to the Illawarra post-war but has always welcomed others and is now largely made up of non-Welsh singers. It does, of course, maintain the tradition and repertoire of Welsh choirs – All through the night, Men of Harlech and so on — but we sing folk and pop items in English, French, sometimes Spanish, Maori and so on. You don’t need to speak all these languages (Welsh included); just listen and learn the sounds.

Unlike many Welsh choirs, this one is not just men. We sing in four parts and right now would love to have a half-dozen new women join us. Men, of course, are also always welcome. We are a social gathering rather than professional musicians and many of us ‘learn on the job’, but we will need to make sure you can hold a part – not even sopranos sing the melody all the time!

Covid has placed restrictions on our operations, but we space out and you can sing in a mask if you want. Just make sure you are doubly vaccinated and boosted. Remember that singing is exercise and communal singing builds not just physical strength but psychological wellbeing (all those endorphins).

Rehearsals are on Tuesday nights in the Creative Arts lecture theatre at the University (Building 25, room 107). We start at 7.30pm and finish at 9.30pm with tea and coffee in between.

Interested? Call Paul Sharrad (0428 790 378) or Pat Little (0432 693 630).