London Welsh Male Voice Choir - May 2023

Concert of London Welsh Male Voice Choir and Waterbeach Brass Band

On Saturday evening, the Cathedral was filled with music of the highest quality, and the audience were delighted with their amazing performance!

The evening started off with the choir singing that well know Welsh song “Men of Harlech”  reminding us that all the choir are Welsh, and they sung in both Welsh and English during the evening.  Their presentation was excellent, in their red jackets, standing with their arms down by their sides, and singing all from memory – several members are in their 80’s!  Two of the choir members stepped out to perform Seasons of Love from Rent, then one of them sang Somewhere from West Side Story, a beautiful rendition.

The Band were a perfect compliment to the Choir, and played both traditional and modern, such as a composition by Strauss,  and their version of McArthur Park.  The three young timpanists seemed to revel in their part, swopping places as they played the different drums, cymbols and other instruments.  The Band had had a piece written for it by Steve Robson, and we were treated to its premier performance.  It was based on Waterbeach, and the three sections depicted different ages up to the modern day.

At the end of the Concert, we were asked to all stand, and choir and band performed the Welsh National Anthem.  The words were printed in the programme (in Welsh of course) so we could all sing along!

Many people commented afterwards that it was an amazing concert and how good it was to see so many people in the Cathedral.  We’re hoping that when we come to see how much was raised, we will be able to donate a generous amount to the Arthur Rank Hospice.

I would like to thank all those who helped with the concert, especially Mike Axford who brought his knowledge forward from 2020 and those Rotarians and their wives who helped by handing out programmes, and collecting money at the end in buckets.  Thank you too to those who provided and served the teas for the performers. 

Thanks must go to Gowing and Hunt whose generous sponsorship enabled the concert to go ahead.