VISITING Kirk’s hotel, Mornington can include an easy-to -follow language lesson. The Australian Welsh Male Choir’s monthly concerts at the hotel include singing in English and Welsh.
Musical director Tom Buchanan says choir members are “not native Welsh speakers” but help “preserve the language “and this comes to life every time these gentlemen start to sing”.
“We also sing many songs in English and when the crowd is singing along, we find after a few drinks they get the confidence to sing in Welsh,” he said.
“You don’t need to be the best singers; you don’t need to speak Welsh, but we will teach you all you need to know.”
Buchanan says community singing “is the essence of a Welsh choir”.
“We started as four or five people singing while enjoying a drink and after almost 50 years we are a choir that is a large part of Melbourne’s history.”
As well as pubs, the Welsh choir Is known for singing at rugby matches, churches and official events. Its members have travelled overseas and recently spread their tradition throughout Asia.
Singing in the Pub at Kirks is free event, but bookings need to be made for a table and meal before the singing starts on 5975 2007.
First published in the Mornington News – 28 February 2023
