The Sounds of Joy:
A Night to Remember
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
VANCOUVER - What do you call 100 men, handsomely dressed in tuxedos with red cummerbunds and matching bow ties all singing on stage in perfect harmony? .....Superb. That's the Vancouver Welsh Men's Choir (VWMC).
At the invitation of Donald Blake of the VWMC Promotion and Public Relations Committee, I attended the final concert in their series "The Sounds of Joy" at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia on May 26.
Since it was my first time attending one of their concerts, I thought perhaps there would be many songs in the Welsh language. They do sing traditional Welsh hymns, but in fact, they have a large and entertaining repertoire ranging from spirituals, opera choruses, show tunes and much more. Jonathan Quick has been the VWMC music director for the past three years, and he is a UBC graduate in voice, composition and conducting.
Guesting on the show was the Lions Gate Chorus, a barbershop singing group consisting of 100 dynamic women, all dressed in sequined costumes. When they came on stage with the VWMC, it made for a very dazzling performance.
The UBC Opera Ensemble also had a guest spot on the show. They were just excellent, and it makes you feel proud to see the calibre of these young opera singers from UBC. You can't help but think that as long as we have such world-class singers, then the future looks bright.
The VWMC was founded in 1980 by a handful of expatriate Welshmen, and has since grown into a 100 ensemble who come from throughout the Lower Mainland of British Columbia representing Canada's cultural mosaic.
All-in-all, it was a very entertaining evening and I would highly recommend that if the VWMC are playing in your area that you make every effort to attend their concert, because you are in for a listening treat.
For more information about the VWMC concert schedule, call (604) 878-1190, or check-out their website at: www.vwmc.ca.
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