The Mornington Peninsula Welsh Ladies Choir was formed in May 2018. It has quickly established itself as a welcoming, friendly community of singers who love working together, exploring the rich tradition of Welsh choral singing, and creating beautiful music. What makes us a ‘Welsh’ choir is not that we sing in Cymraeg, the Welsh language, although this is part of what we do. More importantly, our choir is modelled on the iconic village choirs that have become so synonymous with Welsh culture.
The history of Welsh ladies’ choirs extends a long way back, with one of the best known early examples being the Royal Welsh Ladies’ Choir. The RWLC was based in Cardiff and was active from the 1880s until the end of World War II. It was following a command performance for Queen Victoria at Osborne House that the choir officially earned its ‘royal’ title. The RWLC subsequently performed for royalty on a number of occasions, toured America a number of times and successfully competed in many Welsh eisteddfods. In 1920, the renowned Australian soprano, Dame Nellie Melba, praised the choir, saying “The Royal Welsh Lady Singers are magnificent, they are perfectly splendid, and you may say I said so.”
We are proud to bring this choral tradition to the Peninsula and to add a new, antipodean chapter to its rich history. Whether you enjoy listening to our choir, or whether you choose to sing with us, we sincerely hope that you will feel the hywl which is at the heart of the Mornington Peninsula Welsh Ladies Choir.