In March this year, the Gansbaai Family Church was blessed by a performance of the Cape Welsh Choir which was thoroughly enjoyed by all in attendance.
The Choir, currently consisting of about 22-25 members, was formed in 1982 by eight Welshmen under the leadership of the late Rosa Salmon (née Roos). Although the choristers come from a variety of backgrounds, all share the love of coral singing in the rousing Welsh male voice tradition.
A lot has been achieved in the past 30 years and the Choir, currently directed by Eddie Atherton, is proud to have performed its 800th concert in 2014. These to various audiences and in many different venues in South Africa, ranging from small village halls to larger establishments such as the Cape Town City Hall. The Choir also put on a musical in 2015 to celebrate the Battle of Britain. A total of over 1000 people came to see the three milestone performances.
One special highlight of the Choir’s history was that it was invited to perform at the magnificent Royal Albert Hall in London where 700 voices performed to an audience of over 8000 people.
One of the annual charity events supported by the Choir is “Last night of the Proms”. Besides this event, considerable amounts have been raised over the last 33 years in support of various charities.
The Choir has cut a number of CD recordings over the years.
On Sunday, 30 July the Cape Welsh Choir will again be performing at the Gansbaai Family Church in Buitekant Street. The performance starts at 10:30 for 11:00 and tickets of R30 per person, can be obtained at the Church. Light snacks will be served after the performance. Members of the public will then have an opportunity to interact with the choir members. Seats are limited so prebooking is advisable.
