Choir’s home away from home

THE Yarra Valley is renowned for its green valleys and stunning scenery… not unlike Wales.
“What, then, could be a more appropriate place for people to be entertained by the Melbourne Welsh Male Choir than in beautiful Warburton,” asks Yarra Valley choir member Henry Verhoeven.
The choir, one of Australia’s most acclaimed male choirs, will present its only Yarra Valley concert this year at the Upper Yarra Arts Centre on Sunday, 6 August.
The choir has previously performed to huge audiences, both in Healesville and Warburton and is famous for its wide ranging and entertaining repertoire.
Songs are performed in up to eight languages and include selections from traditional Welsh, classical, musical and opera.
Mr Verhoeven said the choir has a proud history of promoting and presenting its own big live performances at Hamer Hall in Melbourne with feature artists such as Judith Durham, Aled Jones, Donald Cant, Rhonda Burchmore and many more high profile entertainers and orchestras.
“We are equally proud of our achievements off stage,” Mr Verhoeven said.
“They include support of young singers at the choir’s Annual Concert and Singer of the Year competition which has awarded prize money to date of over $50,000, and for Eastern Palliative Care where we have donated over $200,000,” he said.
The choir, which is currently under the musical directorship of Douglas Heywood OAM, relies solely on performance revenue.
Regular invitations to high profile events have become an important part of the choir’s itinerary.
In recent years the Melbourne Welsh Male Choir has performed at The 13th Commonwealth Law Conference, the Domed Reading Room of the State Library and the 150th Anniversary of the Eureka Rebellion. It has toured Wales, the USA, South Africa and Canada.
Booking is essential for the Warburton concert as seating is limited.
Tickets, $16.50 each, can be purchased from the Upper Yarra Arts Centre. Phone 5966 5610. Afternoon tea will be available with proceeds going to local community fundraising groups.