About
About Us
Under the expert guidance of Tom Buchanan OAM, our Musical Director, the 35+ voice choir has grown in stature and now performs regularly throughout the Mornington Peninsula and the city of Melbourne.
Drawing choristers from the south-east area of Melbourne and all parts of the Mornington Peninsula, we embrace anyone who loves to sing and there is no audition required to join the choir. We rehearse on Sunday evenings from 7 – 9.30pm.
Learning to sing 50% of our repertoire in Welsh is a challenge all of our choristers have mastered due to the fun, ongoing support and teaching given throughout the year. What makes us a ‘Welsh’ choir is not only 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. We are proud to bring this choral tradition to the Peninsula and to add a new, antipodean chapter to its rich history.
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.
In September/October 2023 the choir travelled throughout Wales and to London and over a 3-week period gave 14 performances at a variety of venues ranging from Village Halls to the ancient and grand St David’s Cathedral.
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.
OUR MUSICAL DIRECTOR
In 2023 the Musical Director of the Mornington Peninsula Welsh Ladies Choir (MPWLC,) Tom Buchanan, was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
Recognised for his services to music, particularly choirs, Tom has directed the MPWLC, one of only 2 Welsh ladies choirs in the Southern Hemisphere, since its inception in 2018. Tom also conducts the Australian Welsh Male Choir, Excelsis Choir and choirs of Kingswood College where he is Head of Music.
It is not only as Musical Director that Tom has made his mark on the music scene. He is currently the conductor of the Yarra Philharmonic Orchestra. He has conducted performances in the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and the USA. He was invited to be Deputy Conductor for the 26th London Welsh Festival of Male Choirs at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2018.