Welsh Choristers give voice to their music

TED BRELLISFORD, THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR
Members of the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus rehearse at St. Luke's Anglican Church for a week-long tour of the Cayman Islands next week.

By TONY FITZGERALD
The Hamilton Spectator
BURLINGTON

Ray Williams didn't know if there would be musical life after the Canadian Orpheus Male Choir.

Williams was one of the founding members of the choir. After about 25 years with the internationally known group, he decided to leave in 2001

But no Welsh-born person can ever turn their back on singing.

He was gone from the Orpheus about a month when approached by Lyn Harry about the prospects of starting a small choir.

Harry has been maestro of the world-renowned Morriston Male Voice Choir in his native Wales, the founder of the London Welsh Male Voice Choir. He also started the Canadian Orpheus but had to leave due to health problems.

The two Welshmen got together with a couple of other people in Burlington and the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus was born.

"Most of us are from Burlington and we wanted to name it the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus so people would know exactly what music we sing," Williams said. "Our new choir is made up of about 60 percent of former Orpheus members. That gave us a good start and that's how we got going."

Like the original Canadian Orpheus, the new choir was founded on the principle of the Welsh miners' choirs who made life down at the coal-face possible with the promise of the beauty of song to assuage the brutal labour.

The Choir is under the direction of Harry and accompanied by Richard Street. The Choir has been together 17 months and they rehearse at St. Luke's Anglican Church.

The plan was not to get as big as the Canadian Orpheus, which has toured Canada, the U.S., Europe, Great Britain and sang at the Royal Albert Hall.

"We just want to play in churches and chapels," Williams said.

But one of the members, Frank Smith, has arranged a major tour for the Choir. Feb. 2-9 they're in the Cayman Islands.

Smith is an orthopedic surgeon in Hamilton who also has a practise in the Cayman Islands.

They will be billeted with residents and the choir will perform at schools and for government officials. They'll sing the islands' national anthem and their own rendition of God Save the Queen and O Canada.

"We're a Canadian choir but we like the traditional male voices," Williams said. "Our songs contain some of the best amens. Lyn loves amens"

tfitzgerald@thespec.com or 905-526-2467.