Details

St. David’s Day celebration.

Join the Victoria Welsh Choir for its celebration of the rich musical tradition of Wales. Experience a program of hymns in Welsh, English and Latin, plus two modern songs by Australian composer Paul Jarman, all sung in beautiful four-part male harmony.

Also, back by popular demand, Melbourne’s own female group Bhán Tré. Welsh-born and Welsh-speaking Faleiry Koczkar OAM will share conducting duties with Associate Musical Director Rushan Hewawasam in leading the choir and its own talented soloists, accompanied by the incomparable Lorna Ogilvie and assistants Elizabeth Paton and Mary O’Driscoll.

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Artists

Victoria Welsh Choir
Now into its 44th year of music making, Victoria Welsh Choir is a traditional Welsh male voice choir, singing in four-part harmony and presenting about fifteen concerts a year prior to Covid-19’s disruption to public performances. Most of the choristers are from Greater Melbourne but there is also an established and thriving Bendigo chapter and a fast-growing Ballarat group. The choir regularly tours interstate and internationally with the next UK tour planned for September 2023.

Apart from the annual St David’s Day concert, the choir also stages other major concerts with stars like David Hobson, Roy Best, Marina Prior and Silvie Paladino.

Bhán Tré – Celtic Group
One of the first all-female Celtic bands in Melbourne, founded in 1997. The band comprises Irish-born Geraldine Davis (vocals, guitar, bodhran, bouzouki), Bendigonian Sue Foley (vocals, bodhran, tin whistle) and Melbourne-based Kat Mear (vocals, fiddle). Sue is the main organiser of the Melbourne Celtic Festival on St Patrick’s Day 17 March when they will be appearing with the cream of the local Celtic music scene.

Faleiry Koczkar OAM – Musical Director
Since arriving in Australia in 1964, Faleiry (a native Welsh speaker) has held senior music teaching and directorship appointments in several states and was appointed Musical Director in 1994. In 2014 she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to music education and to Welsh culture.

Rushan Hewawasam – Associate Musical Director
Sri Lankan by birth, Rushan started singing at 9 and conducting at 15. He joined the choir in 2012 as a second tenor and is an accomplished soloist, pianist, and musical arranger as well as the conductor of the Conchord Choir. He is the CEO of a national medical education and GP practice group.

Lorna Ogilvie – Accompanist
Originally from South Africa, Lorna has been the choir’s accompanist since 1998 and has toured nationally and internationally with them on many occasions. She teaches piano, accompanies candidates for VCE and AMEB examinations and freelances as an accompanist for schools, choirs and for local and international soloists.

Elizabeth Paton – Bendigo Accompanist and Organist.
After eight years of piano study, Elizabeth studied the organ in Melbourne and is now a relief organist at several churches throughout Bendigo. She spent 13 years as an accompanist to the Bendigo Youth Choir and occasionally plays for Bendigo Chamber Choir & Bendigo Chorale. In 2002 Elizabeth joined the VicWelsh.

Mary O’Driscoll – Ballarat accompanist
Graduating from the Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne in 1980, Mary worked initially as a piano teacher, accompanist and choral director before becoming Director of Music (1989-1998) at Sacré Coeur and at Loreto Mandeville Hall 1999-2018. Since early 2022 she has been the accompanist at VicWelsh’s Ballarat chapter.