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We are Back!! |
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TOUR of UK, OCTOBER
2004
The choir
has just completed its very successful tour of Wales and a memorable appearance
at the Royal Albert Hall, London, with the London Welsh Festival of Male
Voices. The choir performed 8 regional concerts around North and
South Wales in 10 days.
A
map of our tour can be viewed on the next page.
Our
tour can be summed up in the following poem, written by one of our choir
members - Ed Baillie.
(click
on photos for larger view)
The Australian Welsh
Male Choir
Did a tour of England and Wales.
Our music we'd diligently practiced for months;
With lessons and warm-ups and scales.
"Llanfair", "Gwahoddiad", "By Babylon's
Wave"
And "Waltzing Matilda", of course.
We even had "Yvory" really off pat
And "O Isis" - in German - well of sorts!
At last came the day when away we all flew
Excitedly into the night.
We followed the moon for hours and hours
On our tedious, ecliptical flight.
When we awoke it was daylight at last
And our feet firmly back on the land.
We observed our surroundings and discovered we'd found
An oasis, a city in sand!
For a day we rested our jet-lagged limbs,
Washed dusty hands and feet;
Saw all we possibly could of Dubai
In sweltering, blistering heat.
Tired and weary we climbed into bed
For a few hours of uninterrupted sleep.
But alas as we were only just beginning our dreams
We were woken by an ear-splitting bleep.
"Abandon
the building" the tannoys did wail
So in nightgown, pyjamas and bare feet
We were told that the fire was just pretend
As we gathered in a huddle in the street.
Then before even the sparrows had stirred in their nests
We were once again in the skies
On the next leg of our journey, and adventure to fill,
This time with the sun in our eyes.
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Our
first stop was Chester, and after settling in
Went for a walk on the wall.
Took photos aplenty, and bought souvenirs,
And mixed with the crowds in the mall.
That night gave our legs a short rest
And exercised tonsils instead.
Sang with our hosts in a quaint little church;
Our first concert was hit on the head. |
Concert
in Chester |
Betws-y-Coed
Concert |
Then
into Wales, Llandudno first stop
A room by the sea was our base.
We all knew exactly just where we were;
But couldn't pronounce the name of the place!
Our concerts here were rather a hit;
they clapped and cheered with power.
We sang from the heart with our hosts of the night;
And they shouted "Diolch yn fawr".
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Then
off to the pub for an "after-glow",
With beer, and singing, of course!
Which rather disturbed our MD I'm told;
Concerned we might sing ourselves hoarse.
We did all the things that tourists all do
While visiting exotic North Wales.
Train rides, slate mines, and little quaint towns,
And shops with their bargains and sales. |
Rheilffordd
Ffestiniog
(Ffestiniog Railway) |
Off to
Ireland?
Or back again? |
Now
two young ladies of note in our group,
A young and adventurous pair.
Bought tickets to Ireland, to find adventure one day,
In the names of Ellen and Clare.
But alas as they reached those fair Erin shores
Their passports left behind, they saw.
So they were sent straight back from whence they had come,
With the aid of the full arm of the law! |
We
climbed to the crest of the Great Orme for a view
In a little tramway car.
And admired the scene which lay below,
Its beauty extended far.
This place was beginning to grow on us
And the language was becoming a breeze.
But we found it would help to say many words
With a cough, or a hoik or a sneeze! |
Betws
-y- Coed |
Chester
Castle |
Then
southward we travelled through this beautiful land.
Our coach drivers with skill beyond verse
Manouvered their hulks o're narrow streets and lanes;
Mainly forward but sometimes in reverse
Through places which bore exotic names.
Like Caernavon, Aberystwyth, Penmaenmawr,
Until we arrived at the end of the day
At the most beautiful place of them all! |
There
in South Wales, on the south western coast
Sits a town, likely planned in Heaven.
If God built the world in six days, as we're told,
Then Tenby is the result of day seven.
The blueprints for this little piece of Heaven
Are printed on golden leaves.
And stored in vaults in Heaven on high,
At least that's what Tony Dickinson believes! |
Tenby
Harbour |
Tenby
Bay |
Its
little narrow streets, and quaint little shops,
And its harbour, a treat to the eyes.
Must be reflection of what's up above,
A mirror image of the Tenby skies.
And its folk with hearts as warm as fire,
And a smile on every face.
One would wonder how could it possibly be
Tony could ever have left this place! |
Too soon we were reluctantly
dragged away,
To Cardiff, our next large leap.
With a couple of stops on the way
We checked in for our first Big Sleep.
The hotel was fine, spacious and clean,
But undergoing some renovations.
Our rooms were luxuriously perfumed with paint
Incurred in these alterations.
Some rooms we had booked were without even a bed,
And the fixtures a trifle light!
So some of our group were sent over the road,
To endure luxury just for one night.
But no one complained, for it is well known
Aussies are really not wingers.
But said Tony "I'll not care if the door of my room
had only been back on its hinges!!" |
St.
Germans Church,
Roath, Cardiff |
Next day the baritones thought a rehearsal
was required
And our MD was of the same mind.
But a red face was assured when someone revealed
We'd left our piano behind!
I'm sure that someone within our group
Was feeling rather wretched
When Mark Burrows drove to Tenby and back
That night in order to fetch it.
From Cardiff our coaches took us to see
The valleys of which we sing.
And for those of us with no Welsh in our blood,
It was a wondrous thing
To visit the mines of slate and coal,
To feel the hardships and strife.
We go from this place with an empathy,
And our songs will take on new life.
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Royal Albert Hall, London |
Alas we are near the end of our
trip,
But we know we have permission
To visit the Governor in London Town
Of the Australian High Commission.
And to sing with all the passion we have
In the Royal Albert Hall
With a thousand others just like us,
In the concert of them all. |
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Now I'm sure they all
liked the songs we'd rehearsed.
We had them stamping and clapping their feet.
And although we were good, I'm sure it was so
There was one with whom we couldn't compete.
Long after we've gone we will leave behind
In our wake there will surely resound
The sweet dulcet tones of the voice they all loved,
Of the Angel that followed us around. |
Many are the memories we will treasure
and so
When we're too old to travel again,
We'll take out our photos, souvenirs and such
And live the whole trip over again.
We'll remember Simon at the piano - his natural place,
His fingers deft on the keys.
He can play anything in any old key,
To him, it is just a breeze.
And Anne with her arms waving about
To keep us under control.
Trying her best to keep us in tune,
She had to exercise body and soul.
And Dominic, his voice ever so strong,
A leader of men I'll wager.
Give him a badge and a uniform,
He'd make a bloody good Sergeant major!
All thanks to Ian, Neil, Noel and Phil,
And Melody Music for a well planned tour.
Although our purses are much lighter now
It was worth every penny, for sure.
For our knowledge is broader by the things we have seen;
Been to places once only a dream.
Our camera shutters have run red hot,
Our photo albums will bulge at the seams.
For the image we've captured of this
wonderful land,
We'll take home, and superimpose
Upon our own down under, for
It's influence surely shows.
Now when we sing in that strange sounding tongue,
Our passion with enthusiasm share.
For "Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau" means as much to us
As "Advance Australia Fair".
For our lives have been made much richer
for this,
And no matter what else life contrives;
Like it or not, we'll bear a little of Wales
In our hearts for the rest of our lives.
Some friendships were made, others renewed,
And this was really home for others.
We have strengthened the bond that we cherish so dear
With our Celtic sisters and brothers.
And when we come to the end, and we gather
above,
We'll knock on those pearly gates.
Saint Peter will come and open them wide
With his greeting "Well g'day there mates"!
If he asks what we want as we enter we'll say
We want no trouble or fuss;
Just Mark and Ruth to be our guide,
And Phil and Eddie to drive the bus. |
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