The Victoria Welsh Choir will perform at the Uniting Church in Echuca on Saturday, May 2 at 2pm.

Echuca resident Ivan Ryall recently celebrated a decade with the choir.

“I recently got my 10-year certificate for being a member of the Victoria Welsh Choir, for being a part of the group for that long, which I have thoroughly enjoyed all that time,” he said.

“I wish I had got in earlier, to be quite honest, because it is such an enjoyable experience, particularly because I can read music quite well.”

The choir operates three branches across Bendigo, Ballarat and Blackburn, with the Bendigo branch, which Mr Ryall attends, meeting weekly on Thursdays.

Under the direction of Welsh conductor Rushan Hewawasan, the group performs songs in multiple languages, including Welsh, English, Italian and Sri Lankan.

“We sing quite a few songs in Welsh, but we also sing in other languages,” Mr Ryall said.

“Our latest song is Nessun Dorma, which is sung by the famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti and it is actually in Italian.”

The choir regularly tours overseas, completing a two-week concert tour to Sri Lanka in 2025.

“Last year, we had an exceptional, successful tour of Sri Lanka, which our conductor Rushan organised to perfection,” Mr Ryall said.

“There were some of the best venues in Colombo, then Galle, the historic fortress, then up into the hills, into the tea country, then back to Colombo.

The choir’s repertoire spans from traditional Welsh pieces to contemporary favourites.

“We are starting to perform quite a few songs which you will probably be familiar with like Love Changes Everything, Stars, Let the River Run, Save the Last Dance for Me,” Mr Ryall said.

Performances typically begin with the Welsh national anthem, followed by traditional Welsh songs.

Founded in 1980 by seven Welshmen, the Victoria Welsh Male Choir maintains that at least 25 per cent of its repertoire is performed in Welsh.

The group has performed at the Welsh National Eisteddfod and regularly participates in Gymanfa Ganu Hymn Festivals.

Tickets for the Victoria Welsh Choir performance on May 2 at the Echuca-Moama Uniting Church are available through Try Booking.

For information, phone the church on 54821430 or email echucamoamauca@bigpond.com

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